Recent news reveals more about the Sultan Haitham City project and its stages that have started. This ambitious national project is tied to the term "smart city," which represents a new phase in human civilisation adopting what is known as the”digital society”.
The Sultanate of Oman's ambition to keep up with digital and technological advancements is based on the vision of the country's leader, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. His Majesty has given special attention to digital projects and their role in sustainable development, and the Sultan Haitham City project reflects this noble vision.
Many interesting things arise about Sultan Haitham City and its link to smart cities. Readers can refer to numerous details published on this project and its stages, scheduled for completion between 2024 and 2045.
This article focuses on the general concept of smart cities, with Sultan Haitham City being part of the sustainable system.
Smart cities are among the key technological advancements aiming to improve life quality in human societies, transforming them from traditional industrial societies to advanced digital ones, and enhancing sustainable economic development.
The main goal of smart cities is to provide a sustainable and resilient living environment using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and other related technologies. These technologies improve all aspects of daily life, including transportation, energy, water, communication, and government services.
The importance of smart cities lies in their contribution to sustainable development and their ability to sustainably enhance and automate infrastructure. Smart cities help update and control infrastructure, reducing resource waste such as energy and water consumption and improving efficiency. They also help reduce congestion and traffic jams. Smart systems improve traffic flow and guide drivers to less crowded routes, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving air quality through smart sensors operating via the IoT system connected to analytical systems linked to AI algorithms. This digital advancement is supported by the proliferation of smart cars, expected to increase in the coming years, which can exchange data with smart sensors in the streets, enhancing traffic flow quality.
Smart cities also aim to achieve high levels of natural resource management by using smart applications in cities to manage the supply and demand of resources such as water and electricity more effectively, contributing to environmental conservation and resource availability for consumers and future generations.
Smart cities also support the local economy and provide the required sustainability by creating new jobs in digital development and advanced technological innovation fields. They enhance trade and tourism with advanced digital systems that analyze data with high quality and speed, offering the best solutions and recommendations.
Generally, smart cities contribute to improving life quality by providing a high-quality living environment through innovative services such as healthcare, education, and entertainment. These services, key elements of smart cities, reflect what one can expect in the future from the Sultan Haitham City project, embodying the desired digital transformation through smart homes, streets, facilities, integrated digital systems in healthcare institutions, and educational institutions focused on advanced technical and digital education.
In smart cities, many smart applications stand out, such as intelligent transportation systems that include smart buses and trains enabling easy and efficient movement within and between cities, and taxis relying on advanced digital means. Waste management is also managed through smart applications providing an accurate waste collection schedule and guiding residents to proper disposal locations or advanced transportation channels, some using smart underground pipe systems supported by suction systems with smart waste sorting capabilities. This contributes to sustainability in the waste recycling industry and reduces environmental pollution.
Another important smart application in smart cities is techniques for improving agriculture and its outputs through smart irrigation systems and pest monitoring and resistance using ground monitoring means with smart sensors and smart imaging devices.
Aerial monitoring by drones collects and analyzes data using AI algorithms to double agricultural quality and production at lower costs, providing local food sources free of pests. Other applications in smart cities include smart government technologies, which use AI in big data analysis to improve government services such as urban planning and public security. Some government institutions currently rely on such technologies, like the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, which seeks to highlight the digital footprint in its modern projects like Sultan Haitham City and other upcoming smart cities.
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