His Excellency the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Haqeel, revealed.
World Smart Cities Forum
.This came in a speech during his participation in the Global Smart Cities Forum organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), which will be hosted in Riyadh from February 12 to 13, 2024 with the participation of world experts in the field of building smart cities and artificial intelligence.
He said that his Excellency's speech came during his participation in the Global Smart Cities Forum organized by SDAIA.
He said: The great dream launched by His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect him - represented by the Kingdom's Vision 2030, in which all the potential and capabilities of the country have been invested, so that this renaissance that we are living today in our country will reflect positively on the entire region, This support and high ambition from our leadership has made us in the municipal and housing system look for distinguished experiences and attract exceptional models to cross towards our goals and embark on our journey to reshape the urban landscape of our cities and governorates, so that everyone becomes an integrated partner with us in building, development and sustaining the prosperity of cities."
<The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing pointed out that the concept of smart cities is not just technology-equipped urban areas; it requires the creation of environmental and operational systems that integrate municipal services, transportation, education, health, tourism, and other businesses and services, so that they are designed to improve the quality of life of residents. He stressed that the Kingdom's Vision 2030 is the defining path for our transformation journey, through which we have launched a strategy for urban growth and envisioned cities as vibrant centers of life, sustainable development and technology, where people live a life that meets their aspirations, brings them well-being and empowers them to achieve.
Achieving the concept of smart municipalities
<This strategy realizes the concept of smart municipalities and the development of urban centers in existing cities by taking advantage of artificial intelligence and data technology, so that the municipal sector plays a role in the formation of smart cities by creating environmental and operational systems that enhance the quality of life; and fuel innovation in city services, economy and all its elements.He pointed out that this strategy realizes the concept of smart municipalities and the development of urban centers in existing cities by taking advantage of artificial intelligence and data technology.
He said: In Jeddah, we introduced a waste management solution based on emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IOT), which reduced waste and hygiene violations by 25%, achieved a clean city, and reduced the disruption to residents caused by the movements of cleaning crews, In Dammam, we also created an application to manage more than 20,000 parking lots, through which we succeeded in facilitating access to the most congested areas of the city, to create a smooth experience for residents in finding available parking, and we are currently working through “Baladi Lens” to examine 270,000 km of roads, while automatically identifying damage or pollution in the city, which will contribute to reducing visual distortion and raising the quality of life and compliance rates of cities.
Laying the foundations for smart cities
Believing in the importance of continuing to provide innovative solutions, Al-Hgeel stressed that the ministry is targeting the well-being of residents by laying the foundations for smart cities and municipalities, as part of its steps to enhance community interaction in Baladi application - which has won global praise as one of the most prominent smart applications at the United Nations - where the application allows users to submit their applications, manage their municipal licenses, interact with municipalities to request services and improve the urban landscape.Haqeel added that the application allows users to submit their applications, manage their municipal licenses, interact with municipalities to request services and improve the urban landscape. He added: The application also allows users to explore the Kingdom's cities with an interactive map through the trial launch of the “My Map & Navigation” service, which relies on our highly accurate data about businesses and events, road status updates, speed alerts, weather conditions, and other multiple features.
Haqeel concluded. Al-Haqeel concluded his speech by emphasizing the continuation of work to build one of the most prominent national applications and models, Digit Twin, which is transforming the way Saudi cities are planned and operated. By 2025, we will be able to simulate the impact of our urban policies, plan for emergencies and disasters, and connect more organizations and residents to contribute to the co-design of cities.
