The Middle East Cities by Population 2026
5 Most Populated The Middle East Cities
Cairo
23,534,600
Istanbul
16,419,100
Tehran
9,840,100
Baghdad
8,370,410
Riyadh
8,079,940
The Middle East Cities Overview
Istanbul stands as the region’s largest metropolis with 14.8M residents, significantly larger than other cities in the region. Cairo follows with 7.7M inhabitants, while Baghdad (7.2M) and Tehran (7.2M) form another tier of major metropolises.
Several countries feature multiple major urban centers. Turkey includes Ankara (3.5M) and Izmir (2.5M). Saudi Arabia is anchored by Riyadh (4.2M) and Jeddah (2.9M), while Iran features Mashhad (2.3M) and Isfahan (1.5M).
Historic capitals maintain significant populations: Damascus (1.6M), Beirut (1.9M), and Jerusalem (801K). The Arabian Peninsula features rapidly growing cities like Dubai (1.1M) and Muscat (797K).