Saudi Arabia Hosts World Experts to Shape Cities' Future Using Smart Solutions

SDAIA achieved several accomplishments in data and artificial intelligence (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SDAIA achieved several accomplishments in data and artificial intelligence (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Hosts World Experts to Shape Cities' Future Using Smart Solutions

SDAIA achieved several accomplishments in data and artificial intelligence (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SDAIA achieved several accomplishments in data and artificial intelligence (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi capital will host Monday the first Global Smart Cities Forum, which brings together an elite group of world experts in building smart cities and artificial intelligence.

The Forum seeks to form an ambitious vision for the future of cities using smart solutions and drawing up basic rules that support city development plans to achieve sustainable urban development, consistent with one of the Vision 2030 goals, improving citizens' quality of life.

Mayors from global cities, data and artificial intelligence experts, digital solution specialists, smart city engineers, investors, and economic policymakers representing 40 countries will attend the two-day event organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) under "A Better Life."

The Forum will begin February 12 at The Arena Riyadh Venue.

Assistant Director for Advanced Recognition Technologies and Digital Identity (iDART) at the National Information Center (NIC) in SDAIA Hotham al-Twaijry said the Forum provides direct and significant support to the efforts of governments worldwide to adopt innovative models and smart solutions.

It contributes to raising services and public safety in smart cities.

Twaijry explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the event promotes environmental sustainability as part of the Kingdom's efforts to combat global warming, consolidate the values of sustainability, and make them part of society's culture.

- Motivating entrepreneurs

The Forum also aims to motivate businessmen from various countries to invest in smart, innovative solutions to balance human requirements and cities' economic prosperity.

It also seeks to support the creation of safe and sustainable environments in which the elements of modern life are combined, including digital services that help bring about the well-being of citizens.

The Assistant Director noted that the event aims to improve safety, reduce energy consumption, create more job opportunities, develop education, and improve health care and transportation.

He pointed out that the Kingdom is intensifying its efforts to improve the reality of smart cities and develop them to achieve Vision 2030 goals, which aim to achieve quality of life by improving city services.

- International level

Twaijry revealed that Riyadh advanced to 30th place globally and maintained its position as the third Arab city in the IMD Smart City Index (SCI), which saw Makkah, Jeddah, and Madinah ranking 52nd, 56th, and 85threspectively.

He confirmed that these results were achieved due to adopting smart technologies to improve the standard of living and sustainability, demonstrating the Kingdom's forward-thinking approach to urban development and digitalization.

He revealed many positive initiatives undertaken by various competent authorities, such as the National Smart C Platform for smart cities, which shows a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to enhancing the level of services in cities.

The platform has advanced systems that ensure the improvement of the urban landscape in various cities of the Kingdom and contribute to building green cities based on data and innovation in artificial intelligence technologies.

- Sustainable practices

Twaijry added that the initiatives seek to have cities free of visual distortions and road congestion, supported by continuous efforts to develop residential areas with smart technology and sustainable practices.

They aim to balance the economic, technological, and human elements.

The Forum brings together more than 80 speakers from 40 countries and reviews the latest progress achieved by countries around the world, including the Kingdom, in terms of progress in smart city construction projects in light of Saudi Arabia's vision and in achieving the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development 2030.

The event seeks to enrich the future of smart cities in all its aspects and create an attractive social, economic, and tourist environment.

It is the first global Forum for smart cities organized in the Kingdom and aims to form an ambitious vision for the future, using smart solutions and drawing basic rules that support city development plans to achieve sustainable urban development.



Türkiye Submits Draft Proposal to Iraq to Renew, Expand Energy Agreement

FILE PHOTO: A general view of oil tanks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, some 70 km (43.5 miles) from Adana February 19, 2014./File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of oil tanks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, some 70 km (43.5 miles) from Adana February 19, 2014./File Photo
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Türkiye Submits Draft Proposal to Iraq to Renew, Expand Energy Agreement

FILE PHOTO: A general view of oil tanks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, some 70 km (43.5 miles) from Adana February 19, 2014./File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of oil tanks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, some 70 km (43.5 miles) from Adana February 19, 2014./File Photo

Türkiye has submitted a draft proposal to Iraq to renew and expand an energy agreement between the two countries to include cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity, an Iraqi oil ministry official told the state news agency late on Monday.

The statement came after Ankara announced the end of a decades-old agreement covering the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

"The Ministry of Oil is in the process of reviewing the draft agreement sent by the Turkish side and negotiating with them regarding it to reach a formula that serves the interests of Iraq and Türkiye", the Iraqi oil ministry official added.

The 1.6 million barrel-per-day Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has been offline since 2023 after an arbitration court ruled Ankara should pay $1.5 billion in damages for unauthorized Iraqi exports between 2014 and 2018. Türkiye is appealing the ruling.

Türkiye still wants to revive the oil pipeline with Iraq, a senior Turkish official told Reuters earlier on Monday.

In a decision published in its Official Gazette on Monday, Türkiye said the existing deal dating back to the 1970s - the Türkiye -Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement - and all subsequent protocols or memorandums would be halted from July 27, 2026.

Iraq and Türkiye have been working to resume oil flows from the pipeline. Ankara said in late 2023 that the pipeline was ready to receive Iraq's oil but talks between Baghdad, Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government and independent oil producers were not able to reach an agreement on terms.

The Turkish official said the pipeline had the potential to become a "highly active and strategic pipeline for the region".

The person added that Türkiye had invested heavily in its maintenance, and noted its importance for regional projects like the Development Road - a planned trade route involving Türkiye and Iraq.

"A new and vibrant phase for the Iraq- Türkiye pipeline will benefit both countries and the region as a whole," the Turkish official said, without giving details of what Ankara wanted the new agreement to include.

Türkiye sees the Development Road initiative - a high-speed road and rail link, running from Iraq's port city of Basrah on the Gulf to the Turkish border and later to Europe - as an opportunity to extend the pipeline further south. Baghdad allocated initial funding for the project in 2023.