As the global conversation around urbanisation shifts from expansion to evolution, the idea of ‘smart cities’ has matured from glossy concept to strategic imperative.
For the MENA region, home to some of the most ambitious national transformation plans in the world, the next decade will be defining – particularly for tourism and hospitality. Smart cities are emerging as the operational core of future governments, engines of economic resilience, and platforms for reimagined citizenship.
Read more: MENA: What can we expect from ‘smart cities’ in the next decade?
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is emerging as a global leader in sustainable urban development, with key nations including the UAE and Saudi Arabia spearheading transformative projects to meet growing urbanization demands. By 2030, 60% of the region’s population is expected to live in urban areas, prompting significant investments in smart city initiatives.
In the UAE, flagship projects such as Masdar City and Zayed International Airport highlight the country’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Masdar City, a hub for clean technologies and sustainable design, has been at the forefront of these efforts for over 15 years. According to Mohamed Al Breiki, Executive Director of Sustainable Development at Masdar City, the development focuses on net-zero energy projects and fostering collaboration across industries like AI, renewable energy, and Agri-tech.
Read more: MENA Leads the Way in Sustainable Smart Cities Development
Mastercard Cities of the Future Report on the Mena region finds that priority innovations span connected buildings, smart travel and services powered by AI.
More than three-quarters of people (76 per cent) living in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree that living in a smart city would make them happier, according to research by global payment technology company Mastercard.
Read more: MENA: Majority believe living in a smart city would make them happier
Two companies will collaborate on the development and deployment of Smart City solutions, according to a bourse filing
Big data analytics company Presight AI Holding, a subsidiary of UAE's G42, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dell Technologies to accelerate digital transformation and innovation across various sectors in the Middle East through the integration of technology and big data analytics.
Read more: UAE's Presight AI Holding, Dell Technologies partner to boost digitalisation in MENA
Cutting-edge training programmes are thriving in Arab states, fuelled by collaboration between government, business and academic institutions.
It’s crunch time: A reskilling revolution is crucial if we don’t want workers to be left behind by automation.
The World Economic Forum predicts 1 billion jobs – a third of all jobs worldwide – will be transformed by technology by 2030. Inevitably, traditional sectors will be displaced as demand shifts to emerging tech including data analysis, generative AI and software development.
Read more: MENA: Three ways Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar are leading the skills revolution