Inaugural smart cities expo to support urban living in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, as the fastest growing G20 economy according to the IMF, is experiencing a rapid surge in urban population, with about 85 percent of its population living in metropolitan areas.
The infrastructure ecosystem in the Kingdom is rapidly evolving with the increasing population. The launch of the Smart Cities Saudi Expo, co-located with the Saudi Infrastructure Expo and the Global Water Expo next year, complements the Kingdom’s advancement in urban and smart city development.
The Smart Cities expo, held from Sept. 24-26, 2024 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center and organized by dmg events, a trade exhibition and event organizer in the Kingdom, will empower “cognitive living” in Saudi Arabia by showcasing innovative and intelligent solutions.
Muhammed Kazi, vice president — construction at dmg events, told Arab News: “The launch of Smart Cities Saudi Expo supports the Kingdom’s ongoing development of large-scale projects to accommodate its rapidly growing urban population in line with Vision 2030.”
“Co-located with the Saudi Infrastructure Expo and Global Water Expo, which actively support the ever-evolving infrastructure landscape in the Kingdom, the Smart Cities Saudi Expo will provide international companies with the opportunity to enter the Saudi market and showcase innovative smart city technologies and solutions. Together, the three events will bring the entire infrastructure value-chain under one roof, fostering business interactions and promoting networking opportunities.”
Saudi Arabia’s vision for cities of the future is materializing as NEOM, a giga project led by the Public Investment Fund.
To create cutting-edge, digitally sustainable and cognitive cities, NEOM integrates AI, robotics and human intelligence.
“This remarkable progress has turned the Kingdom into a hub for smart city innovations and technologies, setting the stage for the inaugural Smart Cities Saudi Expo,” Kazi said.
The event will include intelligent traffic management; public transportation systems; electric and autonomous vehicles; smart parking solutions; building automation systems; smart lighting and energy management; building security and access control; video surveillance and analytics; emergency response systems; public safety sensors and alarms; e-government services; citizen engagement platforms; open data initiatives; as well as digital identity and authentication.
The Smart Cities Saudi Expo will also feature the inaugural Smart Cities Summit, which will be headlined by key figures from the government and municipality.
Also present will be contractors, developers, project owners, consultancies, master planning experts, urban planners and architects.
“The introduction of the Smart Cities Summit is a timely response to the evolving needs of Saudi Arabia’s urban landscape. The summit will unlock opportunities and foster collaborations that accelerate the development of smart cities across the Kingdom,” Kazi said.
As the Smart Cities expo gears up for its launch in 2024, it builds on the successful second Saudi Infrastructure Expo and the inaugural Global Water Expo. The events were held under the patronage of Majid Abdullah Al-Hogail, minister of municipal and rural affairs and housing.
Attracting more than 15,000 visitors from the Kingdom’s infrastructure landscape, the event featured more than 275 local and international exhibitors from 26 countries.

Inaugural smart cities expo to support urban living in Saudi Arabia