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Saudi Arabia Prepares 10 Regions to Become Among Top 50 Global Cities

The Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Prepares 10 Regions to Become Among Top 50 Global Cities

The Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail said that the Kingdom was working to transform at least 10 Saudi cities to become among the top 50 global cities, by achieving the factors of governance, sustainability, and interaction with residents.

His remarks came on the sidelines of the Global Smart City Forum, organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) on Monday in Riyadh with the participation of world experts in the field of building smart cities and artificial intelligence.

Smart municipalities

Al-Hogail noted that the ministry’s strategy was based on Vision 2030 and was aimed at urban growth and portraying cities as vibrant centers of sustainable development and technology, where the aspirations and well-being of people are met.

He added that the strategy achieves the concept of smart municipalities and develops urban centers in existing cities, by taking advantage of AI technology and data.

Smart applications

Al-Hogail went on to say that the ministry aims for the well-being of the population by laying the foundations for smart cities and municipalities, as part of its steps to enhance community interaction in the “Baladi” application, which has received global praise as one of the most prominent smart applications in the United Nations.

For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, head of SDAIA, explained that the forum aims to achieve three goals: anticipating sustainable smart cities in the future, promoting smart government initiatives worldwide, and motivating companies to invest in building smart solutions.

He stated that in 2023, the joint efforts of government agencies that used the national smart cities platform “Smart C” contributed to reducing traffic congestion on a road network leading to the site of a huge conference in Riyadh by 36 percent, compared to 2022.

Al-Ghamdi also revealed the launch of the Smart Cities Accelerator with strong participation from local and international startups, which created commercial opportunities and facilitated market access for more than 100 teams from 39 universities.

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UAE’s Mubadala Acquires Majority Stakes in Global Medical Supply Chain, Al Ittihad Drug

The acquisition enhances Mubadala's footprint in the healthcare logistics and pharmaceutical distribution sectors. WAM
The acquisition enhances Mubadala's footprint in the healthcare logistics and pharmaceutical distribution sectors. WAM
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UAE’s Mubadala Acquires Majority Stakes in Global Medical Supply Chain, Al Ittihad Drug

The acquisition enhances Mubadala's footprint in the healthcare logistics and pharmaceutical distribution sectors. WAM
The acquisition enhances Mubadala's footprint in the healthcare logistics and pharmaceutical distribution sectors. WAM

Mubadala Investment Company has acquired an 80% stake in Global Medical Supply Chain (GMSC) and Al Ittihad Drug Store (IDS) from GlobalOne Healthcare Holding (GHH), with GHH retaining a 20% stake, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Tuesday.

This strategic acquisition enhances Mubadala's footprint in the healthcare logistics and pharmaceutical distribution sectors, aligning with the UAE's vision to establish a robust life sciences infrastructure, WAM said.

Founded in 2015, GMSC provides comprehensive end-to-end supply chain services for medical products, including demand planning, procurement, logistics, inventory management, warehousing, and maintenance.

GMSC serves over 200 medical facilities, including hospitals and clinics across the UAE. With a dedicated team of medical supply chain specialists, GMSC sources a broad array of products from almost 400 suppliers, ensuring a reliable supply chain for all medical needs.

IDS, established in 1987, stands as one of the leading distributors of pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products in the UAE. Distributing over 1,000 products from over 40 leading suppliers, IDS services every hospital, and all, or at least most pharmacies and supermarkets within the UAE. It boasts a vast portfolio that spans multiple therapeutic categories including anti-infectives, asthma, diabetes, and oncology.

"The expanding pharmaceutical market drives an increasing demand for specialized and efficient drug logistics solutions. By integrating GMSC and IDS into our portfolio, we are poised to create a vertically integrated life sciences sector in the UAE and enable its potential to encompass the entire value chain from logistics and distribution to specialized manufacturing,” said Executive Director of UAE Clusters at Mubadala's UAE Investments Platform Ismail Ali Abdulla.

As for Low Ping, Group CEO Yas Holding, she said that the transaction “continues Mubadala's strategic growth, following another significant acquisition by its new speciality pharmaceutical business, KELIX bio, which recently acquired a 100% stake in four pharma assets from GlobalOne Healthcare Holding's, the healthcare division of Yas Holding.”

“These concerted efforts underline Mubadala's commitment to strengthening the UAE's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors as part of broader national ambitions for drug security and economic diversification."

GlobalOne Healthcare Holding LLC serves as the dedicated Healthcare Division of Yas Holding LLC, focusing on enhancing healthcare outcomes by investing in innovative solutions across various healthcare verticals.