Dubai: Muscat strides in the 2024 Smart City Index (SCI), moving up to 88th place out of 142 cities, an improvement from its 96th position last year.
This index, created by the international institute for management development, evaluates how residents perceive the infrastructure and technology in their cities.
The SCI evaluates cities based on two main criteria: Structures and Technology, which are further assessed across five categories – health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities, and governance.
Residents of Muscat have highlighted unemployment, affordable housing, and public transport as key areas needing attention.
They also emphasised the need for better basic amenities, health services, and security improvements.
A large majority of residents are open to sharing personal data to help alleviate traffic congestion and exhibit a high level of trust in online information from authorities. The increasing use of online transactions reflects a growing digital integration within the city.
Muscat performed well in health and safety, particularly in basic sanitation, recycling services, and public safety. Residents expressed satisfaction with medical services and air pollution controls. Technologically, the city’s online maintenance reporting, public Wi-Fi, and CCTV systems received positive feedback, indicating strong infrastructure supporting health and safety standards.
Governance in Muscat received moderate ratings. While business transparency and public access to city finances were positively rated, as there is room for increased public participation. Although online voting and engagement platforms exist, their overall effectiveness needs enhancement, they felt.
