Dammam vs Mecca

Mecca leads Dammam by 3 points on the TRAIL Index, 60 to 57. Dammam grades better on 4 measures, Mecca on 8; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Dammam 57, Mecca 60
• OECD: Dammam 59, Mecca 67
• UN Tourism: Dammam 53, Mecca 66
• UNDRR: Dammam 41, Mecca 69

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Dammam 90, Mecca 80
• Economy and jobs: Dammam 94, Mecca 75
• Climate and hazards: Dammam 35, Mecca 40
• Water and environment: Dammam 19, Mecca 50
• Community and housing: Dammam 67, Mecca 75
• Access and continuity: Dammam 50, Mecca 75

Where Dammam is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 78.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, Tourism Statistics in KSA 2024 (via Eastern Province Investment and Studies Center Report), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 5 % of employment in accommodation and food services (region figure) (Asharqia Chamber / General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Workforce numbers in the Eastern Province by economic activity, Q2 2025). At or below 8: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 2.2 % of the labour force (region figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) via DataSaudi / Argaam, Q2 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Saudipedia & Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), 2025–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Mecca is stronger

• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (UN-Habitat & Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA), Future Saudi Cities Programme - CPI Profile Makkah, 2017). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 511 kg per resident per year (PLOS One, Biodiesel production potential from fat fraction of municipal waste in Makkah, 2014–2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
• Green space: 17.1 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (region figure) (Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification via Arab News, 2023). Between 10 and 20: grade 1/4.
• Tourism intensity: 17.8 visitor nights per resident per year (Ministry of Tourism (Saudi Arabia) - Tourism Statistics in Saudi Arabia Annual Statistical Report 2023; GASTAT Saudi Census 2022, 2023). Between 10 and 20: grade 2/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Saudi Civil Defence / National Early Warning Platform, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah / Preprints - Mass Gathering Medicine and Crisis Management Review, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Saudi Tourism Development Fund (TDF) / Saudi Ministry of Tourism, 2020-2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Saudi Arabia: #29 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Saudi Arabia: #29 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Dammam in full · Mecca in full

The TRAIL Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · TRAIL Studio · Put your city in the pilot