More than 350 delegates from the public and private sector across the GCC are attending the fourth annual 'Arab Future Cities Summit' which opened in Doha (Qatar) today.  

The two-day event features sessions on the progress, efficient management of resources, future developments and ways of making future cities work better in the Middle East, with distinct focus on Qatar and the special initiatives taken up by Qatari government bodies such as ICT Qatar and Qatar Rail, said the organisers.

The summit kicked off at the Ritz-Carlton in Doha, Qatar, with an exciting array of presentations, panel discussions and networking sessions, said the organisers, Expotrade.

It was inaugurated by Abdulla Abdulaziz T. Al Subaie, the managing director of Qatar Rail.

The dignitaries at the summit included Hamad Ibrahim Al Bishri, the deputy CEO, Qatar Rail Company; Dr Rainer Schnepfleitner, the department manager (Regulation and Competition Affairs) Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA); Ashraf Ali Ismael, the national information assurance manager, Cyber Security Division, (QCERT) ICT Qatar; and Dr Fethi Filali, the head of Technology Development & Applied Research, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) who will be speaking at the event.

The summit has also drawn good response from industry giants such as Huawei, Accenture, Ooredoo, Cisco, Intel, Alfardan Properties, Schneider Electric, Microsoft, EMC, Qatar Cool, B+B SmartWorx, Proteco LLC (Al Nasr Holding), Esri and many more. The Future Cities Lounge saw over 30 exhibitors showcasing innovative solutions for building smart cities.

At the forefront of the push towards smart city development in the Middle East is Qatar, in light of its National Vision 2030 and its prominent role as one of the most important countries in the GCC.

Speakers and panelists at the summit include Cyril Anand, the assistant director, Business Development Support, Ooredoo Qatar; Mohamed Sleiman, the general manager, Alfardan Properties; Ali A. Alraouf, professor of Architecture and Urbanism, Head of CB, Training, Research and Development - QNMP Doha, Qatar and Ahmad Kawakbi, ICT & stakeholder manager, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy - Fifa World Cup Qatar.

The two-day summit features topics with sustainable urban development at the core, ranging from smarter cities enabled through IoT, energy efficiency and government initiatives, to sustainable infrastructure, ICT innovation and telecommunications. Over 20 sessions and a panel discussion feature local and international speakers who are experts in their field.

The opening day focused on the regulator’s role in facilitating smart cities, enabling smarter cities through IoT, sustainability strategies and requirements in Lusail City, enabling the urban information economy through smart cities, the role of communications providers in enabling a smart country, moving towards a future connected society and securing smart cities, and ways to design, implement and operate safe and resilient infrastructure.

Also on the agenda were sessions on smart living solutions, urban energy management, ICT innovation, the role of GIS, people-first approach to smart city innovation, initiatives taken up by Qatar Rail, and research into smart city disciplines such as urban planning and transportation.

The sessions on second day will revolve round branding Qatar via Doha’s knowledge-based smart urbanism, district cooling in smart cities, IoT in smart cities, mobility and big data as enablers for connected cities, prioritization of capital transportation projects after considering sustainability factors, smart and sustainable mobility services, smart energy and efficiency, intelligence and analytics for urban security, local and international sustainability ratings and frameworks, and the knowledge gained from the SunRise Project.

Brad Hariharan, the regional director, Expotrade Middle East, said: "Qatar’s increasing prominence in the GCC region, coupled with Doha’s emergence as a true smart city of the future has ensured that this is the ideal environment to discuss the latest innovation and trends in smart city development."

"Qatar’s National Vision 2030 is a clear indicator of its commitment towards ensuring a smart, sustainable and efficient future for its citizens. It gives us great pleasure to present the summit to Doha again, as a platform to learn, share knowledge and meet the most renowned experts in smart city solutions from across the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service