Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha became the first city to get the title of ‘Disability Friendly City’, now life will be easier for the disabled.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Baha city has achieved a major international achievement. The municipality here has prepared 71% of the city’s public places according to the needs of disabled people. Due to this success, the World Disability Union has given Al-Baha the status of ‘Disability Friendly City’ for the year 2026.

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What facilities have been increased for the disabled in Al-Baha city?

• in the city 178 Public Park Have been developed, out of which special paths for the disabled have been made in 170 parks.
• Total 120 special toilets And 178 parking spots They have been prepared so that there is no problem in commuting.
• 170 dedicated pathways and 80 dedicated play areas have been created for safe connectivity between the facilities.

What was the significance of this achievement and the government efforts?

Al-Baha Region Municipality has worked hard to achieve this goal. This entire work was supervised and supported by Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Urban and Rural Affairs. Governor Prince Dr. Hussam bin Saud bin Abdulaziz said that the aim of the government is to empower people with disabilities and improve their quality of life.

The special thing is that Al-Baha has become the first city in Saudi Arabia, the third in the Middle East and the sixth in the world to receive this honour. Municipality Mayor Dr. Ali Al-Sawat gave full information about this international success to the Governor.

What does the data of the municipality’s performance and beneficiaries say?

The municipality has improved services and resolved 90% of complaints within just 48 hours. According to statistics, 89% of people who use the services are satisfied with it. Every year approximately 12,000 disabled people are taking advantage of these programs and facilities.

This journey started with a survey two years ago, in which it was found that about 4.5% of the population of the area is disabled, whose number is 15,262. In this direction, ‘Hand in Hand… Inclusive Baha’ initiative was started on 4 January 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When did Al-Baha city get the status of ‘Disability Friendly City’?

The World Disability Union gave this international recognition to Al-Baha in the last week of April 2026. This achievement has been achieved by any city for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia.

What is the ‘Hand in Hand… Inclusive Baha’ initiative?

This is a special initiative that was launched by Al-Baha Municipality on 4 January 2026. Its objective is to make the urban environment of the city more inclusive and to support people with disabilities in every way.