Deloitte is one of the sponsors of the first “Saudi Smart Cities Conference 2017” under the patronage of the Ministry of Municipal And Rural Affairs (MOMRA) in the Kingdom between the 16^th and 18^th of May 2017, thus reinforcing its commitment to supporting GCC governments in developing smart cities across the region. Deloitte has just released a publication on “Smart Cities Global trends” by the Deloitte’s Global Center for Government Insights  highlighting Deloitte’s Smart City framework – smart mobility, security, economy, living, environment, and education.

“With the Kingdom’s commitment to investing billions of dollars into advancing its infrastructure based on its strategic Vision 2030, we are deploying our global experience and expertise to help Saudi cities craft an individualized path to a smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient future, leveraging emerging technologies and citizen engagement” explains Rashid Bashir, Partner and Public Sector leader, Deloitte, Middle East.

Deloitte’s unique 360ᵒ Smart City Framework is underpinned by the Firm’s global experience and has 3 main attributes: Quality of life, economic competitiveness and sustainability.

• Quality of Life: A positive quality of life involves enhancing every aspect of the daily existence of citizens. From safe streets to green spaces, from a reasonable commute to access to art and culture, a smart city creates an environment that promotes the best of urban living and minimizes the hassles of city life.
• Economic Competitiveness: Cities have long been important centers of trade and commerce, leveraging the proximity of citizens, research centers, entrepreneurs and business community can help drive an innovative economy. A smart city is a business friendly city, ensuring that jobs and tax revenue form a healthy economic platform.
• Sustainability: A smart city ensures that economic growth and quality of life are promoted not just in the short term, but for future generations as well. Being a good steward of the environment and promoting sustainable consumption of natural resources is part of the overall smart city vision.

“Collectively, Deloitte member firms from around the world are committed to smart city efforts and combining our ambition and optimism, with an ability to see and deliver on potential. Our range of services and experiences support governments—from health to public services, from transportation to energy into a holistic vision that helps bring solutions to every aspect of city life,” added Alex Buirski, Director and head of Smart Cities and Future Mobility at Deloitte in the Middle East.