His Excellency Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipalities and Housing, emphasized during his meeting with faculty and students at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Riyadh, that the future of Saudi cities depends on innovation and strategic partnerships between the government sector and academic institutions, as well as the role of artificial intelligence as a key tool in the development ofsmart cities and sustainable cities.
During a session titled “Toward Smart and Sustainable Cities of the Future,” he explained that universities are not merely academic institutions, but strategic partners driving urban transformation, relying on artificial intelligence to analyze population growth, improve traffic flow, and design public spaces in line with community needs, thereby transforming complex urban challenges into sustainable development opportunities.
Smart Facility Management Systems
His Excellency noted that scientific research at the Ministry is grounded in the nation’s actual needs, and includes the development of Saudi algorithms and models in the fields of housing, transportation, and sustainability, including forecasting housing demand, improving energy efficiency in buildings, and smart systems for managing water networks to maximize national impact. He stated that the Ministry seeks to establish live national laboratories for artificial intelligence applications, ranging from generative urban design to the use of computer vision-enabled drones, to accelerate the transfer of innovation from the lab to city streets while ensuring the responsible application of technologies, and to develop “digital twins” of cities to simulate future scenarios before implementation and support proactive decision-making based on accurate data to enhance operational efficiency and resource sustainability.
Enhancing the Quality of the Urban Landscape
Al-Hogail noted that involving students and researchers in real-world projects empowers the next generation of experts to use artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly, and that collaboration with universities, including King Saud University, has contributed to the development of urban design programs, the preservation of Saudi architectural heritage, and the adoption of 19 design guidelines, thereby enhancing the quality of the urban landscape. He emphasized that the adoption of modern technologies such as computer vision and smart monitoring has helped raise the compliance rate to 64%, reduce operating costs by 80%, and decrease reliance on on-site inspections to 2%, in addition to achieving operational savings exceeding 250 million riyals through improvements in road pavement quality.
His Excellency discussed the role of his academic experience in shaping his leadership vision, explaining that the experience served as a crucible for refining his way of thinking, and taught him how to analyze complex problems, work as part of a team, and take responsibility—principles that are applied today in the administration of more than 140 provinces and cities serving over 15 million people. He also touched on the role of universities, foremost among them King Fahd University, in building smart cities, where the university’s graduates contribute to implementing the “Municipal Sector Impact Framework” (MCIF) through 14 indicators to analyze data and translate it into decisions and tangible impact.
Development of Municipal Services
His Excellency pointed to a fundamental shift in the philosophy of work—from service development to reengineering the way of thinking and decision-making— explaining that this shift raised residents" satisfaction with municipal services from 49% to over 65%, satisfaction with city cleanliness from 53% to 76%, and reduced the rate of unsanitary waste disposal from 64% to 49%. He explained that smart cities represent the future of urban life, as they use data and advanced technologies to proactively manage vast assets—including more than 8,000 parks and public squares and a road network spanning over 196,000 kilometers—to ensure quality of life and resource sustainability.
Al-Hogail emphasized that scientific research translates into tangible economic value when applied in the real world, by improving asset management efficiency, fostering startups, and generating direct operational savings—such as improving the quality of road pavement layers and reducing construction and energy costs—which in turn enhances sustainability and makes cities more attractive to investors. He also addressed the role of modern construction technologies, 3D printing, and drones, emphasizing the localization of these technologies in the Kingdom and the development of local talent to ensure the construction of smart cities led by local expertise.
His Excellency concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the Ministry’s ambition is to build an integrated national model that combines knowledge and decision-making, driven by the power of artificial intelligence, to serve the entire nation and achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
