The city of Abha, the capital of the Asir region, is keeping pace with the celebration of World Cities Day, which falls on October 31st of each year, as it continues to implement broad urban and developmental transformations aimed at reshaping its urban features and enhancing its economic and tourism position in the south of the Kingdom, through a package of projects that include developing the infrastructure, raising the efficiency of public facilities, rehabilitating parks, improving the urban landscape, and expanding pedestrian and bicycle paths, in addition to major investment and tourism projects that outline the features of the next stage of the city’s growth.
This year’s event comes under the slogan “Renewing Cities: Housing for All,” which was adopted by the United Nations for World Cities Day 2026, with the aim of highlighting the importance of urban renewal and the development of residential neighborhoods , and improving infrastructure, services and public spaces, in order to support the building of more sustainable and inclusive cities, capable of dealing with environmental, economic and social transformations.
In this context, Abha stands out as one of the urban models with a special nature, due to its mountainous location and its natural and historical features, which requires its development plans to achieve a balance between the requirements of urban expansion and the preservation of the architectural and environmental identity , while taking advantage of its tourism potential to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors.
Abha can accommodate more than 422,000 people
Data issued by the Asir Region Development Authority reveals the demographic and administrative importance of the city, as the population of Abha reached 422,243 people according to the latest population census, which is equivalent to about 20,861 TP3T out of the total population of the Asir region, which amounts to 2,024,285 people.
This population density reflects the size of the needs associated with the development of public services and facilities, and the necessity of building an integrated urban system capable of keeping pace with population and urban growth, through improving the efficiency of the infrastructure and providing basic services and public spaces that meet the requirements of different segments of society.
"Abha Valley"... an investment alliance exceeding one billion riyals
Regarding investment projects aimed at enhancing the city’s future, the “Abha Valley” project comes at the forefront of initiatives related to reshaping the urban and economic landscape, after September 2025 witnessed the announcement of an investment alliance worth more than one billion riyals to develop the project, which is one of the projects of “Ardara” company, affiliated with the Public Investment Fund.
The project comes within a trend aimed at attracting investments and enhancing cooperation with the private sector to develop integrated urban and tourist destinations, which contributes to diversifying economic activities and increasing the city’s attractiveness for investment and visitors.
“Abha Valley” spans an area of 2.5 million square meters and includes five main areas from which 22 sub-areas branch out, in addition to 16 water destinations, and 17 kilometers of sports tracks. The project also includes 16 hotels providing more than 2,000 hotel units.
Open green spaces are a key element in the project's design, with an area exceeding 30% of its total area allocated to them, enhancing the presence of nature within the urban fabric and providing an attractive environment for recreational, sports and social activities.
Abha's new airport has a capacity of 13 million passengers annually.
As part of developing the transportation system and enhancing the city’s ability to receive visitors and travelers, the new Abha Airport project stands out as one of the strategic projects supporting tourism and economic growth in the region.
The new airport aims to reach a capacity of 13 million passengers annually, through 20 gates and 41 check-in counters, which will support raising the efficiency of air transport services and accommodating the expected increase in passenger traffic, in parallel with the expansion of tourism and investment projects in the Asir region.
These initiatives complement the Asir region's development strategy, which places the municipal and housing system, the new Abha International Airport, and road, water, electricity, and telecommunications projects among the strategic enablers for achieving development. This reflects a trend toward linking urban expansion with economic growth, while working to improve the efficiency of basic services and develop the infrastructure needed by the city and its surrounding areas.
"Al-Soudah Peaks"... Investments exceeding 14 billion riyals
The developmental transformations associated with Abha are not limited to projects located within its urban area, but extend to the surrounding tourist and economic destinations, most notably the “Soudah Peaks” project, which is located in the Soudah region and parts of the Rijal Alma’a Governorate, and represents one of the major projects supporting the future of tourism in Asir.
The project covers a geographical area of 636.5 square kilometers and aims to provide more than 2,800 hotel rooms and 1,300 residential units, in addition to developing more than 30 entertainment and commercial attractions, with total investments exceeding 14 billion riyals, including more than 3 billion riyals allocated to infrastructure development works.
The project is expected, according to its announced targets for 2033, to contribute to revitalizing tourism and investment in the region, which will reflect positively on Abha as one of the main centers for services, transportation and accommodation in Asir, and enhance its benefit from the expected expansion in the number of visitors and tourism-related activities.
Nature and local identity at the heart of urban development
The natural and cultural characteristics of Abha constitute one of the most important elements on which urban development plans should be based. The city is distinguished by its mountainous nature, moderate climate, diverse terrain and natural scenery, as well as its historical and architectural landmarks that give it a distinctive character among Saudi cities.
These features provide an opportunity for new projects to combine modern facilities with local identity, ensuring that development is not limited to the creation of infrastructure, buildings and facilities, but extends to building an integrated urban experience that preserves the natural and cultural privacy of the city, and supports its tourist appeal throughout the year.
In light of the World Cities Day 2026 theme, the importance of directing urban renewal efforts in Abha towards developing residential neighborhoods and improving the quality of housing and services is highlighted, along with enhancing connectivity between residential areas and public facilities, providing open and accessible spaces for different ages and groups, improving mobility options and raising the efficiency of pedestrian and bicycle paths.
Preserving vegetation and mountainous nature is also a key consideration in the development process, ensuring a balance between the needs of urban expansion and the requirements of environmental protection, especially since nature is one of the most prominent sources of Abha’s distinction and attractiveness.
Vision 2030 propels Abha towards a new phase of development.
The existing and planned projects reflect Abha’s transition to a new phase of urban development, in which the city not only relies on its natural and tourist assets, but also works to utilize these capabilities within an integrated system that combines infrastructure development, improving the quality of life, attracting investments, and enhancing the efficiency of services and facilities.
Through these projects, the city aims to consolidate its position as an urban, economic and tourist center in the south of the Kingdom, benefiting from the integration of urban development projects with tourism investments and urban environment improvement initiatives.
This path is consistent with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which focuses on developing cities, raising the quality of life, promoting sustainability, and diversifying the economy. It also intersects with the goals of World Cities Day, which aim to build more inclusive and prosperous urban communities and provide residential and service environments capable of meeting the needs of the population and keeping pace with the requirements of the future.
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