The countries of the Gulf region of the Middle East are playing an increasingly visible role in the global development of smart cities. The aim of this Navigant Research white paper commissioned by Huawei is to provide an assessment of the current state of smart city development in the Gulf states through a detailed comparison of 10 cities. This evaluation highlights their strategies, key projects, and overall readiness to develop smart city visions. It also highlights lessons to be learned from their progress and areas where national governments, cities, and other stakeholders need to act to accelerate smart city development. The 10 cities covered in the Gulf States Smart Cities Index were assessed on the breadth and depth of their smart or future city strategy and specific programs in areas such as digital innovation, public safety, urban mobility, energy, and sustainability. The assessment also looks at support from national governments and the extent of their partnerships and collaboration with other agencies and the private sector. A detailed comparison was made of the 10 cities to identify the current leaders and their closest challengers. The report also highlights significant work being done in a number of other cities in the Gulf region and in neighboring countries. This Navigant Research white paper evaluates the cities in the Gulf region of the Middle East across two dimensions: Strategy and Execution. The Strategy dimension assesses each city?s vision, goals, and objectives as they relate to its smart city program. The Execution dimension assesses the city?s actual achievements?from initial projects to full-blown deployment of innovative technologies and services. Cities are profiled, rated, and ranked with the goal of providing an objective assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of their smart city programs.