Issues like unemployment and healthcare can be addressed with technology, writes John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco.
- By John Chambers, May 27, 2015
… Across the region we are starting to see the impact of connectivity.
In the UAE, the vison of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make Dubai a smart city by utilising technology to create a new reality, is already coming to fruition. Sensors embedded throughout the city will connect everything from utility use to traffic, improving the lives of citizens and creating a potential value of $4.87 billion (Dhs17.9 billion) by 2019.
Qatar is also facing increased urgency to implement a smart city plan with the upcoming World Cup 2022. It also recently unveiled the Qatar National Vision 2030 with the goal to turn the country into one that listens, learns, and responds to its citizens’ daily needs, making an impact in every field: education, healthcare, energy, security, and transportation.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also invested billions of dollars to build four new economic cities in order to diversify and move gross domestic product away from the hydrocarbon sector (oil accounts for 94 per cent of the country’s export revenue).
The smart cities are expected to support the creation of a knowledge economy that will provide the country’s youth with the skills required for professional and senior-level jobs. Link