Today's Edition
HALA AL KHAYYAT (ABU DHABI) - The third edition of the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday under the theme “Smart Cities for a Sustainable World”, gathering around 700 experts in the field from across the world with a focus on employing smart city technologies to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change and urban sprawl.
Organised by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, the two-day event highlights Abu Dhabi’s continued implementation of smart projects after ranking top as the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa for the third consecutive year and 13th worldwide, according to the IMD Smart Cities Index.
His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, said: “Abu Dhabi’s 13th position globally out of 141 cities in the 2023 Smart Cities Index, issued by the International Institute for Management Development, reflects our commitment to openness, innovation, inclusiveness, and sustainability, affirming our dedication to developing smart cities.” The summit is in line with the strategic plan of the Department of Municipalities and Transport and the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, “affirming our commitment to developing smart cities and achieving sustainability”, Al Shorafa said, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Omar Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Corporate Affairs at the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
Abu Dhabi’s continuous ranking as the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa region over three years reaffirms the emirate’s leadership in the evolving landscape of smart and sustainable cities, he continued. The UAE Way Jung Sook Park, Secretary-General of World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), expressed her pride in participating in the event that works towards building a sustainable world, praising the wise approach of the United Arab Emirates and the leadership of Abu Dhabi in advocating for the development of sustainable and smart cities.
She expressed her appreciation for Abu Dhabi’s valuable contribution as a founding member. She also announced the launch of WeGO’s Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi, reflecting the Emirate’s significant progress in its approach to smart cities. Envisioning the Future Director General of Abu Dhabi Police Major General Maktoum Ali Al Sharifi emphasised the importance of the Abu Dhabi Smart Cities Summit, which aligns with the wise leadership’s proactive approach towards smart urban planning and harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence for sustainability. Al Sharifi noted that these achievements are the fruit of the care and support provided by the wise leadership, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi.
He pointed out that the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police employed the Safe and Smart City system, and adopted artificial intelligence technologies in various fields of police and security work. These include effective analysis and swift response to emergencies, boosting the effectiveness of security apparatus in supporting decision-makers.
Al Sharifi also referred to the success of the Driver Alert System, launched by the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police, which has significantly contributed to reducing severe accidents and deaths during inclement weather conditions since its inception in 2018. He also highlighted the Driver Alert System’s significant achievements, namely “zero deaths” and “zero serious accidents” under varying weather conditions.
A Platform for Exchanging Ideas
For his part, Brigadier General Salem Abdullah bin Barak Al Dhaheri, Acting Director-General of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA), said that the summit acts as a vital platform for exchanging expertise on innovations in smart cities and artificial intelligence. “We at the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority believe in the importance of adopting smart technologies and the smart city as important tools for the sustainability of the safety system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Al Dhaheri said.
The third session of the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit aims to attract more experts and visionaries to support the next stage with their ideas, and contribute to establishing frameworks and a clear vision to ensure the livability in smart cities, making them more adaptable and responsive to challenges, and harnessing local skills, community institutions, and leading technologies to support sustainable economic development.
Memoranda of Understanding
The summit witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding between the Department of Municipalities and Transport and a group of prominent companies, including Huawei and Etisalat, a testament to the department’s commitment to enhancing cooperation and stimulating technological progress. Also during the event, Jamal Al Obaidli, Acting Executive Director of the Information Technology Affairs Sector at the Department of Municipalities and Transport, announced the launch of a five-year roadmap for supporting smart cities and overcoming challenges related to rapid urban sprawl, climate change, and several challenges in city management operations.
He noted that the summit showcased many projects, including the smart city platform centred on artificial intelligence technologies to improve the decision-making process in the city, smart parks designed to enhance life levels and city service efficiency using sustainable Internet of Things devices, and the launch of the free “Hello WiFi” network provided by the Department of Municipalities and Transport in cooperation with telecommunications service providers in the United Arab Emirates.
Al Obaidli stated that the initiative to provide free internet in public parks in Abu Dhabi has targeted 10 parks so far, with plans to extend the experiment to other parks in the emirate. This service aims to improve the digital infrastructure in the UAE and provide wide-ranging public Wi-Fi coverage in various locations around the emirate, including public parks, beaches, and buses.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport also witnessed the announcement of the “Mobile Traffic Control Centre” project, which is a mobile unit equipped with the latest technologies, artificial intelligence, and communication devices.
Hessa Al-Harbi, from the Traffic Management Department at the Integrated Transport Centre, said that the project aims to manage traffic for events and occasions, and enables effective traffic management in Abu Dhabi Emirate through collaboration between decision-makers such as the Department of Municipalities and Transport and Abu Dhabi Police.
Al-Harbi pointed out that the project is part of the centre’s effective contribution to establishing a smart and sustainable transport environment and enhancing security and safety on the roads in Abu Dhabi Emirate.
