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Infrastructure And Smart Mobility Solutions Middle East | |
| Radhika Laghate |
Moving away from oil and integrating sustainable technologies is the goal of the Middle East. This is why creating sustainable mobility solutions not just for movement of people in infrastructure, smart railways, and electric vehicles, but also for sustainable tourism and entertainment, are critical.
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Digital technologies enhance socio-economic potential of “smart cities” and improve the daily lives of its residents. Giga Smart City Projects such as NEOM, Amaala, Red Sea Project, Qiddiya are moving beyond focusing on infrastructure, smart railways, and electric vehicles, but also on sustainable tourism and entertainment. They will stimulate the economy to move away from oil.
Smart mobility requires real-time, mapping data, and navigation for monitoring on road movement and understand data to create better services and experiences for people that are stable, safe, and effective.
The Middle East is now surpassing its existing infrastructure and rethinking and reshaping itself to develop new mobility systems. Companies are investing billions of dollars in digital technologies to understand customer experiences. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has changed the way people interact and prefer smart technologies.
It is estimated that by 2050, 80 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas, so smart city market is forecast to double to nearly US$873.7 billion by 2026, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy.
Green technologies such as solar panels, batteries, and artificial intelligence (AI) are also required. Companies that can connect mobility as a service to ecosystems can also benefit from this transformation.
Designs That Create Impact
As mentioned above, Saudi Arabia’s focus on building mega cities of the future in NEOM such as The Line and Oxagon reinforced that humans must be at the centre of city designs. The city will have no cars, high-speed underground trains, or roads, thus emitting zero carbon. It also aims to introduce a water distribution network, which will cut water loss by under 3 percent.
It will disrupt the notion of how cities are built by running it entirely on renewable energy. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has touted it as a “model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability.”
Moreover, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are diving into digital initiatives through the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025. This programme aims to double the contribution to the country’s GDP from 9.7 percent to 19.4 percent over the next ten years by converting to a digital economy. Riyadh City already plans to install an artificial intelligence-based signalling project that will have driverless trains. Oman uses smart road technology to manage traffic in Muscat that improves traffic safety and reduces congestion during the peak hours across the city.
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has partnered with Siemens technology for ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers, which will help reduce carbon emissions, boost the adoption of EVs, and make the transport system more connected, stable, and sustainable.
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Building Mobility Solutions
The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) announced the launch of a new smart mobility think tank at the World Government Summit (WGS) 2023 in Dubai. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with Etihad Rail, the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), the American Centre for Mobility, and The Routing Company.
Its aim is to enhance the economy and attract global talents in the smart mobility sector. The experts in the private sector and academia will find innovative solutions and develop policies for smart mobility.
The UAE aims to establish itself as a leader among nations in smart intermodal mobility by 2032.
Commenting on this development, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, "The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to climate change, accounting for a quarter of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The new venture will help achieve the country’s goals on sustainable development and climate action by reducing carbon emissions produced by the transport sector."
He added, "As our economies and populations grow, so does the demand for a sustainable, affordable, and effective transport system for people and goods. This demand can only be met by rethinking our transportation modes and shifting towards smart mobility. The Think Tank will help us do this by shaping an innovative transport ecosystem and tackling the challenges and opportunities in the mobility sector."
The UAE also plans to transform 25 percent of transportation into autonomous modes by 2030. It is expected to bring AED 22 billion in revenue every year by focusing on reducing carbon emissions, accidents, the cost of transportation, and saving time for the population.
Abu Dhabi was evaluated on the parameters of infrastructure, digital services, perceptions of the residents, and government efforts in health and safety, mobility, opportunities for work and education, governance, and activities.
Additionally, Masdar City offers an environmentally friendly shuttle service that self-drives. Abu Dhabi airports also signed an MoU agreement with France’s Groupe ADP to understand the opportunity of advanced air mobility, which will use electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft to transport cargo and people.
Egypt is also planning to build 15 new cities to meet the demands of the population, provide them with high-quality amenities, generate investments, and create job opportunities. The cities are expected to house 6.5 million people. It will monitor traffic, have buildings that automatically determine the best way to use resources, and consider climate impact.
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AI as a Tool to Build Smart Infrastructure and Mobility
Smart buildings can be developed in the GCC countries, where a hot and arid climate overpowers daily life. With urban development, investment, and the right design strategies, AI can be trained to regulate temperature and humidity in buildings or infrastructure. It can monitor temperatures in real-time according to internal and external conditions. It can also be modified to gather data to increase its efficiency, accuracy, and predictions as much as possible.
AI can process the data over hours, days, and years and optimise solutions according to areas that receive more solar than others, improving performance and bringing changes to its residents in real-time.
Moreover, AI can also monitor the air quality in buildings and adjust ventilation to provide great ventilation for occupants. It can also add air filtration systems and adjust temperature levels to ensure that the air is clean and healthy. This can even save energy costs by reducing usage during cold air temperatures and promoting comfort, health, wellness, and happiness.
Reliance on oil is another important factor that Saudi Arabia aims to reduce. This vision has been implemented since 2016 and will be achieved by 2030. To support this, Saudi Arabia developed the National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence, which integrates artificial intelligence techniques and data across all economic sectors.
The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence was established to monitor this national strategy’s implementation and equip public and private employees with the right techniques and skills to use artificial intelligence by focusing on five key areas:
Sustainable growth, reducing human effort, simplifying processes, and resiliency are the focus of civic authorities, governments, and industries. However, integrating complex network systems can be difficult. This is why harnessing the power of data and artificial intelligence can drive higher efficiencies, reduce carbon, and optimise performance.
Smart cities are the future and a way to tackle urbanisation and consumption growth. It demands initiatives that will provide environmentally friendly solutions to meet the needs of people, lower their carbon footprint, provide a cleaner world, and achieve Vision 2030 sooner.