Rapid urbanization has created numerous challenges in the field of quality of life and urban services. In the meantime, smart city has been proposed as a new approach for sustainable urban development. The present study is applied-theoretical in terms of its purpose and descriptive in terms of its nature and method. Data and information were collected through library-documentary resource studies, field observations, and visits to organizations in the city of Ahvaz. Quantitative models and TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making models were used to analyze the data. The present study examined the obstacles to a smart city in the metropolis of Ahvaz and, relying on the six smart city indicators, evaluated the degree of compliance of this city with global standards. The findings show that Ahvaz does not perform well in most indicators and there is a large difference between different regions of the city in terms of smart indicators. Region 4 has the best and Region 6 has the weakest situation. Factors such as marginalization, weak digital infrastructure, and lack of effective planning are considered to be the main obstacles. To realize a smart city, it is essential to pay attention to local conditions and promote citizen participation.