Davos: The Quality of Life Program Center in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), announced on Tuesday the launch of the Quality of Life Index (QoLI) in Davos.
According to Saudi Press Agency, this global initiative is designed to provide cities with a multidimensional, data-driven framework to measure and enhance quality of life, placing human well-being at the heart of sustainable urban development while accommodating diverse local contexts.
The QoLI integrates participatory research and shared priorities within a comprehensive framework that enables cities to move beyond traditional indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP). It incorporates real lived experiences into measurement and planning processes and assesses both universal requirements and local needs specific to each context, allowing cities to enhance community well-being by translating local insights into more inclusive and effective policies.
Currently covering 19 cities across six continents, the index is set to expand to include more than 100 additional cities.
The QoLI utilizes a portfolio of 28 global indicators to provide insights across nine core domains of quality of life: basic services and mobility, culture and recreation, economy, education, environment, governance, health and well-being, housing, and social cohesion, in addition to an overall indicator measuring life satisfaction.
The index was developed through a global participatory process involving more than 160 experts and representatives of entities from over 40 countries, in line with international statistical standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Commenting on the Kingdom's collaborative role in developing the index, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Quality of Life Program Committee Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the launch represents a key step in enabling cities around the world to benefit from data-driven insights that translate the concept of well-being into practical, actionable priorities and precisely guide efforts toward what truly matters to people. He added that the initiative serves as a global platform bringing together partners and relevant stakeholders.
Al-Khateeb emphasized that Saudi Arabia looks forward to sharing its experiences and learning from other countries, contributing to the development of policies that empower communities and enhance quality of life worldwide.
Meanwhile, CEO of the Quality of Life Program Center Khalid Albaker underscored that Saudi Vision 2030 was launched to reshape the concept of development in line with people's lived experiences, expressing pride in sharing the lessons learned from implementing the vision on the global stage. He noted that the ongoing partnership with UN-Habitat underscores the center's role in supporting sustainable urban development worldwide through practical insights, data-driven frameworks, and national experiences, helping to shape a new international dialogue on human well-being and quality of life.