Sustainable Interconnected Communities is the way forward for the Middle East

The United Nations SDG Report states, “Transitioning towards more sustainable and resilient societies also requires an integrated approach that recognizes that these challenges—and their solutions—are interrelated.”

Sustainability is a comprehensive term for a city to be able to provide its residents with the bare minimum requirements without compromising on quality or quantity but with the caveat that this is in the broader interest of the environment.

From time immemorial, sustainability has been the hallmark of a thriving civilisation. Should one consider land and/or water-based ecosystems and its biodiversity one notices natural provisions for food, clean water and air. The availability of raw materials also fuels economic growth. These natural sites available for human settlements were meant to create a positive environmental impact and mitigate climate change. Unfortunately, the ever-expanding population agricultural intensification, urbanization and grossly overdone industrial production are all creating an unfair competition for natural resources. Overuse is contributing to the rapid depletion of non-renewable resource that ultimately results in environmental degradation.

Despite several attempts to create a city that could benefit all, urban city planners are still missing out on essential aspects to creating sustainable communities. According to Dr Khaled Galal Ahmed, associate professor of Architectural and Urban Design at UAEU’s College of Engineering at United Arab Emirates University, “sustainability, connectivity, flexibility, and community participation must go hand-in-hand when creating sustainable and interconnected communities.”

Keeping this in mind, NEOM city developers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shifted its focus from urban design to people and not on infrastructures. The planners want ‘walkability’ to define everyday life: all essential daily services, such as schools, medical clinics, leisure facilities, as well as green spaces, will be within a 5-minute walk. This would mean lesser dependence on transport and reduced carbon emissions. It must be noted that while the blueprint of the entire city seems to be in place, the practicality of the idea will only be proved in 2024 when the city will welcome its first set of residents. Concerns on various social realities like gender discrimination, PPP and the income capacity are all answers that one must find along the way.

NEOM has prepared an ambitious project, one that is open to critique. The key challenge here is that this is lightly populated desert city which needs foreign investments, creation of mass infrastructures and utilities, moving beyond an ambitious abstract to a reality that is filled with bureaucratic inconsistencies and challenges that one must overcome. And then there is the over-ambitious concept of 'The Life’ a proposed hyperloop connectivity that seeks to make NEOM a ‘car free’ city. The Line aspires to preserve the nature of NEOM while limiting the city’s emissions. However, this also increases the need for FDI, which is as yet not forthcoming. So the NEOM project is at the forefront of the battle for number 1 in the sustainable cities department but there is much to be done before it is crowned as number 1.

Not too far away, Kuwait’s most ambitious housing project in South Saad Al Abdullah city has come up with different difficulties. Architecture companies in Kuwait, are finding it challenging to meet the ever-changing needs of the population which have also disrupted traditional method and design.

“We’ve been doing business in Kuwait for over 50 years now and the way that we design and the way that our projects are configured is totally different,” says Ian Purser, PACE’s Head of Architecture. The need for out-of-the-box thinking has stimulated newer urban planners to look at sustainability in a new way.

According to EuroNews, “Kuwait is one of many countries in the Middle East with ambitious plans to develop connected, competitive and convenient cities - contributing to the global smart cities market which it’s estimated will be worth $2.6 trillion by 2025.”

Sustainability is a fundamental yet unwritten condition of modern society, one that is underscored by connectivity, unconventional methodology and viability. The lapse in judgement in building sustainable interconnected communities lies in continuing traditional mode of thought and design.

After multiple smaller attempts, Oman has finally decided to add its name to the list of Smart City Developers with its most ambitious project yet, commencing this year 2022, in Ras Al Hamra in Muscat. The proposed agenda for Oman’s Sustainability venture includes “Smart, sustainable and vibrant cities and a vital countryside with a viable architecture that ensures high quality of life, work, and leisure” as one of its six objectives.

While the outline of the agenda sounds reasonable the truth is far from reality. A recent study has identified six key challenges associated with the implementation of sustainable construction in Oman, namely, cost effectiveness, project delays, limited availability of green materials, lack of awareness among the public, lack of trained labour and professionals, and the absence of environmental legislation. Also, the use of solar energy in Oman is limited to a number of small applications, such as street lights and parking meters with very few projects certified by LEED.

The silver lining amidst all these challenges is the region's ability to persevere against the odds. Plans are still being drawn up, investors are still being welcomed and change is finally in the air. The projects ambitious as they may seem are well worth reflecting on. The finality of how smart a city will be lies in the effectiveness of its practical outcomes.

All in all, the Middle East is demonstrating its commitment to the net zero ideals in widely varying degrees but one can take comfort in the fact that change has already begun.