Using sustainable development indicators in developing Saudi cities—case study: Makkah city[National Baselines for the sustainable development goals assessed in the SDG index and dashboards]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a rate of 69% in development sustainability level and ranked 101st out of 157 countries participating in the United Nations (UN) Convention of Sustainable Development Achievement. This shows a weakness in the extent of achieving sustainable development in the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Makkah city, as one of the most significant cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was selected to measure to what extent it achieves sustainable development. The study sought to identify the indicators through which the extent of sustainable development achievement can be measured in Makkah. The values of indicators in Makkah were determined with reference to the accredited authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, such as the General Authority for Statistics and the establishment of the Makkah Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the quality-of-life program document was reviewed and links between the sustainable development indicators and livability indicators included in the quality-of-life document were considered. Then, a gap analysis was identified to find out the difference between the status in Makkah and the standard established by the UN and those included in the quality-of-life document. Finally, the study revealed the extent of achieving sustainable development in Makkah, which reached a score of 77.5%. The weaknesses of the city were determined in comparison to the established standards. Initiations and several programs were proposed for the purpose of bridging the gap identified in the study.