عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

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)
TT
TT

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.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Saudi Arabia Ranks 2nd Globally in World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index 2025

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Ranks 2nd Globally in World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index 2025

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia has achieved an unprecedented milestone, ranking second worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) released by the World Bank, covering 197 economies.

The results were announced at a press conference in Washington on Thursday.

According to the GTMI findings, Saudi Arabia excelled across all the report’s indices, placing it in the “very advanced” category with an overall score of 99.64%.

The assessment examined digital infrastructure, core government systems, online service delivery, and citizen engagement, with the Kingdom achieving some of the highest scores recorded worldwide.

Governor of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Alsuwaiyan said the achievement reflects the unlimited support provided by the Kingdom’s leadership, the integration of government efforts, and strong partnerships with the private sector.

He noted that national teams over recent years have redesigned government services and developed advanced digital infrastructure, enabling the Kingdom to achieve this global standing.

Alsuwaiyan stressed that the DGA will continue to promote innovation and enhance the quality of digital services to support the national economy and advance the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The 2025 GTMI results show Saudi Arabia achieving 99.92% in the Core Government Systems Index (CGSI), 99.90% in the Public Service Digitalization Index (PSDI), 99.30% in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index (DCEI), and 99.50% in the GovTech Enablers Index (GTEI), securing an “A” rating among “very advanced countries” and reflecting an extensively mature digital government ecosystem.

This achievement caps a rising trajectory for Saudi Arabia’s digital government since the launch of Vision 2030, which prioritizes the citizen in the digital transformation process by improving government service delivery, enhancing user experience, and boosting operational efficiency.

These commitments have been supported by broad governmental integration, comprehensive development of digital systems, and the adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Saudi Arabia has made significant leaps in GovTech maturity, rising from 49th globally in the first GTMI in 2020 to third in 2022 and second in 2025, cementing its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.

Business

European Central Bank Leaves Rates Unchanged with Economy Showing Signs of Modest Growth

The Euro currency symbol is seen prior to a press conference after an ECB's governing council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
The Euro currency symbol is seen prior to a press conference after an ECB's governing council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
TT
TT

European Central Bank Leaves Rates Unchanged with Economy Showing Signs of Modest Growth

The Euro currency symbol is seen prior to a press conference after an ECB's governing council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
The Euro currency symbol is seen prior to a press conference after an ECB's governing council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday for the fourth meeting in a row as the economy in the 20 countries that use the euro increasingly looks strong enough to get by without the stimulus of lower borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.

Bank President Christine Lagarde said that while the economy had remained “resilient,” there was too much uncertainty over trade and international conflicts to give any hints about future moves.

“We reconfirmed that we are in a good place” with interest rates, she said. “Which does not mean that we are static.”

Instead, the bank's rate setting council would take things meeting by meeting, starting with the next gathering in February. There is “no set date for any move,” she said. “There are lots of factors that that are in play and that will evolve over the course of '26.”

The council left the benchmark deposit rate unchanged at 2%, where it has been since a rate cut in June. Economists now think the rate could stay there for months - and possibly into 2027.

That’s because the ECB remains poised between inflation that’s just a bit too persistent and growth that’s underwhelming but steady after a trade deal with the US remove some of the uncertainty that had held back business planning. Higher rates fight inflation while cuts support growth.

The bank said in its decision statement that economic growth “is expected to be stronger” than in the bank's last projections in September, while inflation in services businesses was declining more slowly, even as overall inflation was expected to stabilize at the bank's 2% target.

Surveys of purchasing managers by S&P Global slipped slightly for December but still showed business activity expanding as the year comes to an end, reinforcing expectations that the 20 countries using the euro currency will continue to see growth of around 0.3% per quarter over the previous quarter.

That outcome is better than feared during turbulent trade negotiations with the United States over the summer, which finally settled with a 15% tariff, or import tax, imposed on European goods by US President Donald Trump.

Trump had threatened higher rates and the deal struck with the European Union's executive commission appears to have removed uncertainty and made it easier for businesses to make decisions. So the economy can get by without the added boost from a cut, analysts say.

“The haze of economic uncertainty has somewhat lifted, especially regarding trade,” The Associated Press quoted economist Lorenzo Codogno as saying.

On top of that, inflationary pressures remain too high for the ECB to contemplate a cut. The headline rate of 2.1% for annual inflation in November is roughly in line with the bank's goal of 2%, thanks in part to a drop in volatile energy prices. But inflation was higher at 3.5% in the services sector, which encompasses much of the economy from hairdressers and hotels to concert tickets and medical services.

While the ECB stood pat, the Bank of England on Thursday cut its key interest rate for the first time in four months as stubbornly high inflation starts to ease.

Policymakers voted 5-4 to reduce the base rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.75% on Thursday. Consumer price inflation slowed to 3.2% in the 12 months through November, from 3.6% a month earlier.

Central bank rate cuts can support growth because they strongly influence borrowing rates throughout the economy, lowering credit costs and promoting credit sensitive purchases such as new homes by consumers or new production facilities by businesses. Higher rates have the opposite effect and are used to contain inflation by dampening demand for goods.

Business

Saudi Arabia Achieves 2nd Position Globally in ITU’s Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025

Saudi Arabia Achieves 2nd Position Globally in ITU’s Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Achieves 2nd Position Globally in ITU’s Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025

Saudi Arabia Achieves 2nd Position Globally in ITU’s Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that Saudi Arabia has ranked second globally in the Digital Regulatory Maturity Index 2025, placing just behind Germany among 193 countries, and maintaining its position in the highest “Leading” category of the global classification, according to a statement issued by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST).

CST Acting Governor Eng. Haitham bin Abdulrahman Alohali stated that this achievement is the result of the support and enablement of the wise leadership, alignment of national digital economy directions with international multi-stakeholder initiatives, and strong collaboration between public and private sector entities through cooperative and participatory regulation, SPA reported.

He added that the Kingdom’s progress was further driven by adopting regulatory policies based on measuring social and economic impact, launching digital inclusion programs to empower all segments of society, implementing policies that promote development and innovation across sectors such as science, agriculture, and finance, and joining the Tampere Convention to facilitate the provision of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation.

Alohali highlighted that attaining the highest “Leading” maturity level has contributed to accelerating the growth of Saudi Arabia’s digital economy, expanding the telecom and technology market, stimulating competition, attracting investment, and strengthening the Kingdom’s leading and active role within the ITU.

The statement added that this achievement reflects the efforts led by CST in collaboration with the National Regulatory Committee, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy and Planning, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Digital Government Authority, Saudi Central Bank, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, Transport General Authority, General Authority of Media Regulation, National Cybersecurity Authority, Saudi Water Authority, Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority, General Authority for Competition, and Consumer Protection Association.