Emirates .. remarkable successes in the field of building smart and sustainable cities

Abu Dhabi, July 19/WAM/The UAE has achieved remarkable successes in the field of building smart and sustainable cities and established its position globally through a comprehensive national vision based on digital transformation and innovation, studied investment in infrastructure, and firm commitment to sustainability principles.
The Emirati experience emphasized that the transformation into smart cities is not just an update of infrastructure but rather an integrated national project that merges technology with a comprehensive development vision that places man in the heart of policies and plans.
He described the UAE experts as a role model in building future cities, by integrating the latest digital technologies and smart systems in urban planning, and providing an integrated environment that enhances the quality of life and supports sustainable development.
“The UAE has established its position as one of the most leading countries in the world in building efficient and adaptive cities, based on an ambitious national vision, a deliberate investment in digital infrastructure, and a firm commitment to sustainability principles,” said Friedrich Godmil, Executive Vice President of Energy Management at Sheneider Electric.
He explained that one of the fundamental reasons for the progress of the UAE lies in its early adoption of the approach of electrical and digital transformation, which is known as “electricity 4.0”, as this trend enabled the state to develop cities that are not limited to technical development only, but also characterized by the ability to face future challenges, such as the growing demand for energy, climate change, and acute climate fluctuations.
He added that with the expectations of the high demand for electricity in the Middle East region by 10% by 2030, and the need for an investment of 752 million dirhams in energy networks to achieve the goals of the Emirates Energy Strategy 2050, the country continues to move at an advanced pace, by adopting the mini networks that allow decentralized energy management, as well as smart buildings management systems that depend on the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Judmil praised the experimental projects in the Emirates, which demonstrated the possibility of reducing energy consumption by up to 50%, and reducing use by 29% in major complexes through advanced systems that enables immediate analysis, predictive maintenance and promoting cybersecurity.
He stressed that the UAE provides a global model to be followed by integrating good policies, innovation and active partnerships in building numerical and sustainable cities.
International reports in this regard showed that the UAE is one of the most investing countries in smart cities, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, data centers, and modern communication networks.
Data in 2025 indicates that the volume of investment in smart cities projects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia amounted to about 185 billion dirhams.
For his part, Dr. Nidal Abu Zaki, General Manager of the Orient Planet Group and author of the book “Smart Cities in the Arab World and its economic and social effects:” The UAE plays a pioneering role in designing and developing smart cities, based on an advanced digital infrastructure and an integrated legislative system that looks at the future and keeps pace with the requirements of innovation. “
He pointed out that the digital identity “UAE PASS” and the unified gate “U.AE” are basic tools that allow an integrated digital experience for individuals and companies, and contribute to accelerating the Internet of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, which is one of the pillars of smart cities.
He explained that Abu Dhabi provides an advanced model for digital transformation through its smart projects. For example, the platform “has been” accessed to hundreds of government services, while Dubai continues its career to be the smartest city globally through the “Dubai Now” platform, which provides more than 250 smart services connected to 35 governmental and private entities.
Regarding the smart infrastructure, he stressed that the UAE was able to transform the concepts of sustainability into integrated digital urban projects, which are based on the efficiency of operation and the employment of resources at the highest international standards.
On the Emirati experience and its comparison with the experiences of world leading countries, Abu Zaki pointed out that the UAE participates with New York in employing huge data to improve services, but it is distinguished in sustainable urban planning projects, and while Amsterdam focuses on the circular economy and renewable energy, the UAE highlights through its projects and geographical breadth, which gives it distinct momentum in this aspect.
According to the Smart Cities Index for the year 2025 issued by the International Institute for Administrative Development, the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi maintained the lead site at the region level after Dubai ranked first in the Arab world and the fourth globally, advanced from the twelfth place in 2024, and Abu Dhabi advanced to fifth in the world.

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