2nd Arab Future Cities Summit opens in Doha

Guest of Honour HE Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, Minister for Municipality and Urban Planning, cuts the  ribbon to inaugurate the second annual Arab Future Cities Summit 2013, at the St Regis Doha.

By Hamza Jilani/Staff Reporter

The challenges of building and managing large modern cities were discussed at Arab Future Cities Summit 2013, a two-day international event that began in Doha yesterday.

Hundreds of international delegates are taking part in the event  at the St Regis hotel, held under the patronage of Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning to share knowledge and tap into the smart city market that is growing across the Arabian Gulf countries.

Attracted to the event were mayors, ministers, chief executives, city planners, strategy and policy officers and advisers, as well as technology and investment experts who gathered at the summit’s second edition after either enjoying or hearing about last year’s success.

The programme is seen as a direct response to rising global populations and the gradual trend in these populations’ movements from rural to urban centres.

“Rapid urbanisation demands sustainable growth, smarter economies and most importantly, people power. What we need is good governance through efficient strategies, resource optimisation and smarter transport grids,” said keynote speaker Sean Patrick O’Brien, vice-president of Urban Management and Public Security at software company SAP.

Topics discussed by panellists included improving quality of city life, administration, education, efficiency in transportation and energy and water usage as well as access to a variety of services through the ease of smartphones and mobile applications.

Many case studies were also presented to prove the effectiveness of such solutions where they are being implemented in other parts of the world.

“There are more new cities popping up in the Middle East region than in any other part of the world. But it’s not enough to just start up a city; you need proper planning, access to services like quality education for everyone, and not only in schools,” Lynn Reyes of IBM Global Business Services said.

“It’s important for us to remember that a city is a system within systems, and all components have to be harmonious in a formula that keeps development running smoothly. If you make the right choices from the beginning, you’ll save yourself a headache later down the line.”

The speaking delegates agreed that developing regions such as the Middle East, which “seeks to innovate rather than copy developmental success”, should not only look to build big cities, but ensure their long-term viability by educating residing populations about their lifestyles and how they affect the cities environment.

“When residents know the impacts that their lifestyles and habits of transportation, consumption or waste management are doing to the city, you’ll see major change and smart decisions being made,” said Graham Bodell, head of transport strategy at the ministry.

Expert panelists like Ahmad Olaywan, Qatar/Kuwait/Bahrain country manager for BlackBerry, stressed on the dependence of data-driven, technology-driven development strategies.

He said that while the region is one of the most mobile regions in the world with 200% penetration, with Qatar’s smartphone penetration at 75%, according to ictQatar, the young and changing smartphone and app market could lead Arab cities in the next stage of development.

“It’s not only about using your smartphone to connect to social networks and communication services. Mobile computing has served the GCC to provide solutions to people with disabilities, the police with community information a public reach police services as well as utility bill paying though the convenience of mobile apps,” Olaywan said. “Building a smart ecosystem around your smartphone makes it easier for companies like us as well as developers to create solutions for people like you.”