His Excellency Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipalities and Housing, concluded yesterday his official visit to the People’s Republic of China, which included a series of meetings and field visits aimed at promoting digital transformation and building technological partnerships that support the development of smart cities and the adoption of advanced technologies in the municipal and housing sectors.

On the second day of the visit, His Excellency was briefed on the latest global practices and experiences in the fields of artificial intelligence andsmart cities, and discussed opportunities for cooperation in developing digital infrastructure and investing in data centers with a number of Chinese technology firms.
His Excellency visited the Smart Operations and Control Center in the Longgang District of Shenzhen, operated by the global company Huawei, where he reviewed the latest AI-based solutions for urban management, as well as mechanisms for integrating urban, traffic, and environmental data into unified operating platforms that support decision-making and enhance the efficiency of operational responses.

Al-Hogail emphasized the importance of investing in national capacity building by adopting specialized programs to qualify and train personnel in the fields of smart cities, data analysis, and modern technologies, thereby contributing to the transfer and localization of knowledge and enhancing the readiness of national talent to lead the digital transformation in the municipal and real estate sectors.
On the international partnership front, the Minister of Municipalities and Housing held a meeting with leaders from the global companies Huawei and ByteDance, during which he affirmed that the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing is a key partner for both companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its technology arm, NHC Innovation, and through joint efforts to implement a number of strategic initiatives in the fields of data engineering, artificial intelligence, digital service development, and enhancing the user experience.

His Excellency explained that the Ministry is working to implement an integrated artificial intelligence strategy that includes more than 20 use cases, of which approximately 20% are dedicated to supporting staff and enabling them to perform their duties more efficiently, while the remaining use cases focus on developing digital applications, employing gamification techniques, enhancing smart search engines, and providing AI-powered recommendations and marketing services, thereby contributing to increased operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved service quality.
During the meetings, opportunities were discussed for establishing data centers within the business districts of NHC Group’s real estate projects, thereby strengthening the digital infrastructure and enhancing the investment appeal of these areas.

At the conclusion of the visit, His Excellency affirmed that the partnerships and initiatives achieved reflect the Ministry’s transition to an advanced stage of digital transformation based on the integration of technology, data, and innovation, emphasizing that investing in national talent is the cornerstone of building the cities of the future, and affirming the commitment to continue working toward developing a smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable municipal and housing sector.