These Are The Middle East’s Most-Populated Cities

The Middle East is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing and most densely populated cities. Rapid population growth, rural-to-urban migration, and economic concentration have driven major cities to expand well beyond their historic cores.

This map, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, highlights the most populated cities in the region in 2025.

The data for this visualization comes from the United Nations.

Cairo Stands Alone at the Top

Cairo ranks as the Middle East’s most populated city, with more than 25.5 million residents in 2025. The Egyptian capital has expanded steadily for decades, driven by high birth rates and sustained migration from rural areas. Alexandria and several other Egyptian cities also rank highly.

Rank
Location
City
2025 population
1
🇪🇬 Egypt
Al-Qahirah (Cairo)
25,566,000
2
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Istanbul
15,015,000
3
🇮🇷 Iran
Tehrān (Tehran)
9,175,000
4
🇪🇬 Egypt
Alexandria
7,267,000
5
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Ar-Riyāḑ (Riyadh)
6,916,000
6
🇯🇴 Jordan
Ammān (Amman)
6,404,000
7
🇮🇶 Iraq
Baghdād (Baghdad)
6,391,000
8
🇮🇷 Iran
Mashhad
5,398,000
9
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Dubai
5,284,000
10
🇸🇾 Syria
Dimashq (Damascus)
4,288,000
11
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
4,284,000
12
🇰🇼 Kuwait
Al Kuwayt (Kuwait City)
4,265,000
13
🇪🇬 Egypt
Luxor
4,188,000
14
🇾🇪 Yemen
Şan’ā’ (Sana’a)
4,019,000
15
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Ankara
3,612,000
16
🇮🇷 Iran
Karaj
3,599,000
17
🇸🇾 Syria
Aleppo
2,922,000
18
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Izmir
2,650,000
19
🇮🇱 Israel
Tel Aviv
2,643,000
20
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Dammam
2,336,000
21
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Bursa
2,282,000
22
🇶🇦 Qatar
Ad-Dawhah (Doha)
2,194,000
23
🇪🇬 Egypt
Banha
2,089,000
24
🇮🇶 Iraq
Basra
2,034,000
25
🇮🇷 Iran
Isfahan
1,844,000
26
🇱🇧 Lebanon
Bayrūt (Beirut)
1,794,000
27
🇪🇬 Egypt
El Mansura
1,713,000
28
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Mecca
1,692,000
29
🇮🇶 Iraq
Mosul
1,665,000
30
🇮🇷 Iran
Ahwaz
1,639,000

Türkiye and Iran Anchor Urban Growth

Türkiye places multiple cities in the top 20, led by Istanbul with over 15 million people, followed by Ankara and Izmir.

Iran also features prominently, with Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, and several secondary cities reflecting the country’s large population and relatively balanced urban network.

Gulf Cities Punch Above Their Weight

Several Gulf cities appear high on the list despite much smaller national populations. Riyadh, Dubai, Jeddah, Doha, and Kuwait City have grown rapidly over the past two decades, fueled by economic diversification, infrastructure investment, and foreign labor inflows.

While smaller than Cairo or Istanbul, their growth rates remain among the fastest in the region.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Wealthiest Nations in 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.