RIYADH: Saudi city Alkhobar has secured a place among the world’s smartest cities, ranking 99th in the prestigious International Institute for Management Development’s Smart City Index for 2024.
This milestone makes Alkhobar the fifth Saudi city to achieve smart city status, joining the ranks of tech-savvy urban centers like Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah.
The IMD, a renowned Swiss business school, publishes the annual Smart City Index as a benchmark for assessing cities’ readiness to leverage advanced technologies and create sustainable, intelligent communities.
Alkhobar’s smart city designation is a testament to the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 and its leadership’s vision for a digital, prosperous nation.
The IMD index evaluates urban development holistically, considering factors such as health and safety, employment, education, mobility, cultural activities, governance, and the harmonization of economic, technological, and social aspects of city life.
Smart cities harness digital technologies to optimize resource use, minimize carbon footprints, foster citizen engagement, and create vibrant public spaces tailored to residents’ needs.
“We take immense pride in this accomplishment, which reflects the remarkable progress Saudi Arabia has made across all sectors,” said Omar Al-Abdullatif, CEO of the Sharqia Development Authority.
“This achievement is rooted in the wise guidance of our leadership and the capabilities of our great people.”
This milestone, he added, is the fruit of collaborative efforts between key stakeholders, focused on bolstering infrastructure, executing development projects, and improving livability for Alkhobar’s residents and visitors in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030’s goals of nurturing a robust economy, an investor-friendly environment, and ample job opportunities.
The Sharqia Development Authority extended its gratitude to the partner entities whose efforts propelled this achievement, including the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Eastern Province Municipality, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Al-Abdullatif said.
