Riyadh, February 12, 2024, At the Global Smart Cities Forum hosted by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, unveiled significant advancements in Saudi Arabia's journey towards smart urbanization. He disclosed that four Saudi cities have achieved classification within the smart cities index over the past year, marking a pivotal milestone in the nation's quest for technological integration and urban sustainability. Al-Hogail articulated the Ministry's ambitious objective of elevating at least 10 Saudi cities to the echelons of the top 50 global cities, underpinned by a strategic focus on governance, sustainability, and community engagement to fulfill resident needs and enhance overall well-being.
Emphasizing the transformative impact of Vision 2030, spearheaded by HRH the Crown Prince, Al-Hogail depicted it as a beacon of progress radiating across the region. He lauded the Kingdom's contemporary renaissance, attributing it to the collective investment of national capabilities and resources.
Furthermore, Al-Hogail underscored ongoing efforts to advance the "Digital Twin Modeling" national application, heralding a paradigm shift in urban planning and management. This groundbreaking innovation, he elucidated, will revolutionize the operational landscape of Saudi cities, enabling dynamic simulations to evaluate the ramifications of urban policies, bolster emergency preparedness, and foster collaborative city design endeavors between authorities and residents. Al-Hogail revealed plans for the full functionality of this model by 2025, signaling a significant leap forward in Saudi Arabia's smart city aspirations.
