The Lebanese capital’s infrastructure is among the worst of cities across the world.  According to a ranking by Global Investments reported by Byblos Bank’s Lebanon This Week, Beirut placed 204th out of 221 cities worldwide and 21st out of 25 in the Middle East and Africa region.  Out of 42 middle-to-high income cities, Beirut came in dead last.

The index used in the rankings focused on a wide variety of infrastructure, including electricity and water supply, communications infrastructure, public transportation and traffic, mail services, and the availability of international flights at local airports.  Within the region, Beirut only outperformed Nouakchott, Mauritania; Khartoum, Sudan; Sana’a, Yemen; and Baghdad, Iraq.

 Some of the cities that outperformed Beirut include Tbilisi, Georgia and Luanda, Angola.

 Beirut performs especially poorly in the areas of electricity and public transportation.  Many residents rely on private generators for their energy needs as the country does not produce enough to supply demand.  Similarly, the city’s public transportation system is out of date, encouraging residents to drive, leading to major traffic jams.  The extra costs imposed by this system make Beirut among the most expensive cities in the MENA region.