The phrase “Smart Cities” conjures visions of interconnected urban destinations where technology underpins improved living and working standards for all. It’s a paradigm driving today’s urban planning, and countries across the Arabian Gulf are in the vanguard of its adoption, looking to the concept to develop public and private sector efficiency, enable economic benefits, and improve citizens’ lives.
There is an increased emphasis globally to rethink city planning and streamline key functions such as healthcare, transport systems, and education. According to figures published, cities will house more than 2.5 billion people by 2050, making inclusive, safe, and sustainable cities a global priority.. Throughout the region, national visions have smart cities incorporated into development plans. Oman’s Vision 2040 is the latest to join the smart development drive already actively pursued in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
The Sultanate’s Vision 2040 is well aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and the two countries are now engaged in investment collaboration across a wide range of economic and societal development fields, from health to real estate, logistics to Petrochem. Converting industries and technology will be the developmental engine, with associated deal generation worth $4.5 billion.
The Gulf’s commitment to smart city development will see nations leverage the Internet of Things, software solutions, user interfaces, communication networks, automation, data analytics, and machine learning to better their residents’ lives. That can mean everything from driving safer vehicles to operating interconnected homes, both designed not just for convenience but for security and sustainability.
The region can look forward to cities that are easier and healthier in which to live, work, and visit with smart traffic management sidelining congestion, smart transport reducing carbon emissions, and with more efficient waste management and sanitation at their core.
The accelerated uptake of smart city technology throughout the region will be further examined at LEAP 2024, the third edition of the world’s most-attended tech event, which will run at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malham, from March 4-7. The 2024 event will feature a Smart Cities Stage as one of its 15 dedicated key knowledge tracks, while a co-located event, called DeepFest, will feature more than 150 speakers. Together, the events will provide attendees with upwards of 1,800 world-class exhibitors to see, and almost 1,000 speakers to choose from.
Experts at both events will examine topics at the core of AI and smart city planning, including how digital twins can power city governance, from planning to land-use optimization, and how increasingly connected infrastructures can be safeguarded against cyber threats and security.
Alongside the technology titans who will highlight innovation, the Smart Cities stage will also probe how the new urban landscapes can leverage tech while keeping their conurbations “human.” The human-centricity of smart cities will be scrutinized by experts, including Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson; Nicholas Dirks, president of the New York Academy of Sciences; and Elizabeth Adams, Affiliate Fellow and former Chief AI Ethics and Culture Advisor at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI.
For more information on LEAP 2024, please see here.
