Rabat – Morocco’s capital city of Rabat has ranked 126th out of 141 cities worldwide in the latest IMD Smart City Index.
The report, published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), placed Rabat seventeen places lower than in 2021.
The capital city’s ranking has dropped significantly over the years, with the city ranking 109th in 2021, 101st in 2020, and 99th in 2019.
The IMD Smart City Index 2023 assesses residents’ perceptions of the structures and technology applications available in their city. 20,000 citizens were surveyed about their cities’ living conditions and their top priorities, ranging from affordable housing and road congestion to fulfilling employment and green spaces, as well as various structures and technologies.
According to the report, Rabat has a human development index (HDI) of 0.702.
For the Health and Safety Index, Rabat scored an average of 41.7. Included in this index are elements such as basic sanitation, recycling services, public safety, medical services provision, air pollution, and finding housing.
In terms of mobility technology, Rabat scored an average of 48 on the basis of apps for car sharing, parking, directions, bicycle hiring, online scheduling, and tickets, among others.
Meanwhile, the capital city scored 70 in the “Activities” indicator, an assessment of green spaces and cultural activities such as shows, bars, and museums.
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Rabat received an average of 58.2 for the “Opportunities (Work & School)” indicator in terms of technology. This metric assesses online job availability, IT skill training in schools, online services for starting a new business, and internet speed.
Rabat obtained a poor score of 36.9 on the “Governance” index, which includes elements such as public access to information on local government decisions, corruption of city officials, residents’ contributions to public decision-making, and residents’ feedback on local government projects.
Apart from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, all of the cities in the top 20 are located in Europe or Asia-Pacific, the report noted, while highlighting the notable absence of American and African cities.
