## 1 Introduction  
Rapid and uncontrolled urbanization puts pressure on rural lands and urban ecosystems, particularly in developing nations [1]. This rapid urbanization often leads to unregulated industrial activities, hastily planned growth, habitat fragmentation, social divides, increased air and water pollution, and resource depletion [2, 3]. To foster sustainable urban development, effective land use policies must prioritize spatial planning and the utilization of decision support tools to determine optimal land allocation [4]. The intricate blend of economic, social, and physical transformations within cities is a response to the demandsof population growth in developing nations. While various terms like urban expansion, urban development, and urban land use have been used to conceptualize these changes, they essentially boil down to the quantitative growth and qualitative differentiation of a city's physical space, defined as urban growth and urban change, respectively [5]. In technical terms, growing urban areas trigger significant changes in land use and land cover (LULC), and predicting future urban growth towards rural areas is a common focus in the literature, emphasizing the importance of such growth occurring on suitable lands [6; 7]. Therefore, land suitability becomes pivotal in determining whether lands, in their current state or with improvements, can sustain specific land uses. It forms the foundational data for efficient, safe, and sustainable land use planning [8]. The core objective of land suitability assessment is to anticipate future land performance by examining land characteristics. This involves identifying suitable land use types, mapping available land types, and evaluating their suitability for chosen land use classes [9]. Multi-criteria decision support systems (MCDS) serve as invaluable tools for tackling intricate decision-making challenges that encompass physical, socio-economic, environmental, and ecological dimensions [10; 11]. Often integrated with geographic information systems (GIS), the synergy significantly enhances efficiency and accuracy, making MCDS ideal for optimizing land suitability assessment and selecting appropriate locations for various land uses [12; 13]. The literature underscores the necessity of conducting separate land suitability assessments for each urban area, considering factors such as topography, soil, geological conditions, and additional elements, such as roads, access to commercial and industrial areas, and transportation [4]. The criteria and requirements for land suitability assessments vary across models and objectives, necessitating tailored analyses for specific situations to ensure the utmost accuracy in urban land use planning. Evaluating land suitability maps, derived from MCDS methods, alongside LULC maps, provides insights into the appropriateness of the current urban pattern for settlement [14]. Consequently, the production of past and present LULC maps for studied cities is required to achieve a comprehensive understanding. Among MCDS, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method integrated with GIS has been widely utilized for assessing land suitability. While there has been extensive research on agricultural land suitability and suitability for specific crops, the number of existing studies focusing on urban land use suitability is comparatively limited compared to rural land use analyses. For instance, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [15] utilized AHP-GIS to classify land suitability for informal settlement areas to be renewed in Pune, India. Their study incorporated seven criteria, including property value, building density, population density, slope, transportation network, and LULC. Similarly, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [16] applied AHP-GIS to assess the suitability of new urban development areas in Latakia, Syria. [PERSON] [17] concentrated on identifying suitable urban development areas in Akabe, Ethiopia, utilizing AHP-GIS and considering four main criteria: geophysical, socio-economic, environmental, and administrative. [PERSON] et al.