The initiative aims at stimulating development efforts that are exerted by government institutions at the level of regions and cities to build their capacity to localize SDGs and share their promising practices and policies at the global level.

Achieving SDGs requires the participation of government institutions at the level of regions and cities, through which UN-Habitat has launched SDG Cities Global Initiative to provide regions and cities with a clear path to localize SDGs via providing planning tools, helping experts, funds and promotion incentives.

UN-Habitat is a UN program working for a better urban future, whose mission is to promote sustainable human settlements development socially and environmentally and provide adequate shelter for all through collaboration with committed partners, relevant stakeholders and urban effective players at all government and the private sector levels.

Madinah has been listed on the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) Smart City Index and ranks second at the level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after Riyadh, fourth regionally and 73rd globally.