Urbanization and sustainable cities in the Gulf states

Perianayagam, Arokiasamy, Al-Ghanim, Kaltham Ali, Petcu, Catalina and Mourshed, Monjur ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8347-1366 2026. Urbanization and sustainable cities in the Gulf states. Discover Sustainability 10.1007/s43621-026-03259-w

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Abstract

Urbanization is accelerating worldwide, driven by demographic transition and rapid urban development, with the United Nations reporting that more than half (54%) of the world’s population now resides in cities. The six high-income Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, are among the most urbanized regions globally. While oil wealth has fueled expansive urban development since the 1990s, a critical research gap remains. There is a lack of comprehensive, comparative macro-level analyses that systematically link migration-driven demographic shifts, hyper-urbanization patterns, and the imperatives of sustainable urban planning amid escalating climate and economic vulnerabilities. This article addresses this gap by employing secondary data sources to rigorously investigate the historical and projected trends in urban population growth, spatial distribution across cities, and the emergence of Gulf global cities. The study also explores the implications of these trends on urban development planning and public policy in the GCC states. Key findings indicate unprecedented speed and tempo of urbanization in the last three decades, highlighting complex challenges in fostering sustainable cities, resilience, and enhanced quality of urban life. The Gulf states’ high income and economic reserves have facilitated the Gulf’s urban transformation, enabling three key pillars: strategic city planning, the cultivation of global urban centers, and the delivery of universal public services. However, the intensity of expansive urbanization in the Gulf cities calls for a two-fold strategy in urban development policy goals: (a) integrating social, economic, and environmental dimensions to ensure that urban development is sustainable, and (b) building resilience to tackle the impact of future climate and economic shocks with robust evidence-based urban planning and policy agenda.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	Springer
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 May 2026
Date of Acceptance:	9 April 2026
Last Modified:	11 May 2026 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186906

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