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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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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.