Maghreb Smart Cities Recognized in a report

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland has ranked Zurich in Switzerland, Oslo in Norway and Canberra in Australia as the best smart cities in the world for 2023. However, the IMD has also recognized five African capitals for their expertise in digitalizing services in the face of climate change. These cities include Cairo in Egypt, Algiers in Algeria, Cape Town in South Africa, Rabat in Morocco, and Tunis in Tunisia.

The Smart City Index Report 2023 evaluated how well municipalities have incorporated new technological advances such as artificial intelligence for telemedicine, e-mobility and the digital economy. The IMD surveyed at least 20,000 citizens about their cities, focusing on sustainable housing, traffic congestion, job creation, and green spaces through information technology and communication (ICT).

Algeria’s capital, Algiers, is ranked in the 123rd, while the Moroccan capital city of Rabat is ranked 126th, while Tunis is 137th out of 141 cities worldwide in the latest IMD Smart City Index. They are both benefiting from the rise of green start-ups and their support from local authorities, which has strengthened the climate resilience of populations in urban areas.

Rabat has become a significant player in smart city events in Africa and will participate in the African Cities Lab forum to be held in Cotonou, Benin in May 2023.

In partnership with CitiIQ, a Canadian organization, the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) published a ranking of 60 sustainable cities in June 2022. Among these cities are Tripoli in Libya, Nouakchott in Mauritania.