Smart Cities: The Future Of Urban Living

Dr. Tarig Enaya, SVP enterprise at Saudi Telecom company, explains how smart technology is enhancing urban life, and shaping the cities of the future.

We are living through an age of rapid urbanisation, on a scale not witnessed since the first wave of industrialisation in the 18 th century that provided the impetus for the rapid growth of urban population in the 19th century.

The United nations’ current estimates put 55 per cent of the world’s population living in urban areas. According to The Economist, by 2050 about 64 per cent of the developing world population will dwell in urban areas and 86 per cent of the developed world will be urbanised. Much of this urbanisation is expected to happen in Africa and Asia.

What this means is that today around 4 billion human beings rely on urban infrastructure to keep them warm, mobile and clean. Technology helps with this of course: Digital sensors, smartphones and smart home appliances allow for a new kind of understanding between citizens and city officials.

In this so-called ‘smart city’, information and communication technologies (ICT) and the internet of things (IoT) are used to enhance city living. new technology and data is used for solving the cities’ economic, social and environmental challenges. Smart cities are a major part of achieving the goal set by the United nations of making urban environments “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.

Cities across the world are pursuing smart city initiatives. Technology investment related to smart cities is expected to double in the next four years globally and reach $158bn by 2022, according to market intelligence and advisory firm IDC. The figure is expected to touch $2.7bn in the Middle East and Africa region, with Dubai and Riyadh leading the way.