Gulf Cooperation Council smart city initiatives garner momentum

The Middle East is a hotbed for smart city developments, with activities in the region maturing and adapting to what citizens want. The Middle East is pouring investment into smart cities to enhance government efficiency and citizen services in conjunction with digital transformation initiatives such as Dubai Smart City and UAE Vision 2021, Saudi Vision 2030, Oman Vision 2020 and New Kuwait Vision 2035. The Middle East is pouring investment into smart cities to enhance government efficiency and citizen services in conjunction with digital transformation initiatives such as Dubai Smart City and UAE Vision 2021, Saudi Vision 2030, Oman Vision 2020 and New Kuwait Vision 2035. “The way forward today is a community-driven, bottom-up approach where citizens are an integral part of designing and developing smart cities, and not a top-down policy with city leaders focusing on technology platforms alone,” said Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice-president at Gartner. To keep pace with the changing needs of citizens and the development of new business, cities are now striving to become not just smart, but also innovative in enhancing human experiences. Carol Ratti, professor of the practice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said there is an increasing drive by businesses and the general public in the Gulf to design more human cities, with less interest in achieving technological prowess for the sake of them. Ratti said that is the reason the MIT piloted the cloud cast concept in 2017 in Europe, Middle East and Asia.