© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Smart city services (SCS) in contrast with other technology-based services, demand significant interaction and collaboration between the users and the service providers. This study examines the SCS delivery-channel characteristics and the users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics that influence their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services, as well as their intention to adopt (i.e. continue using) the SCS-delivery channels. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative study using a structured questionnaire was conducted for this paper. The data-collection method was administered by emailing the survey to a list of 2,350 city/urban residents who are members of the two largest universities in the greater Dubai metropolis. A total of 600 completed responses (26 percent) were received back, while 580 useable responses (25 percent) were analyzed for this paper. Findings: Our initial findings suggest that contrary to popular belief, it is not only SCS channel factors that influence user satisfaction and continuance intention. SCS users' personal characteristics (such as their user innovativeness and control-seeking behavior) are also pivotal in determining their satisfaction and intention to continue or not continue using the SCS-delivery channels. Research limitations/implications: The paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal characteristics jointly influence the users' experience of the services and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behaviors toward the emerging SCS channels in general, and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world. Practical implications: The paper argues that both SCS channel factors and SCS users' personal (behavioral and demographic) characteristics jointly influence the users' trials of the services, and therefore jointly determine their satisfaction with the service as well as their SCS usage continuance intention. The result of our research gives important insights into users' behavioral intentions toward the emerging SCS channels in general; and it will be of great value to architects and designers of Smart City technologies around the world. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first few studies focused on investigating the antecedents of SCS usage behaviors in the Middle Eastern region.