AUDI Holds its 17th Webinar on Harnessing Smart Technologies for Effective City Management

As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting inclusive urban planning across the Arab Region, the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) held, today, the 17th session of its “Cities in Action” series, bringing together a wide range of specialists and professionals in urban development.

Dr. Abdullah Daifallah, the webinar moderator and professor of urban planning, opened the session with an overview of the “Cities in Action” series, underscoring its role in fostering discussions among specialists and urban development experts across the Arab region.

The session began with a presentation delivered by Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aziz Abdel Hamid, Professor of Urban Planning and Consultant in Urban Planning and Modeling on “Smart Technologies in City Management,” highlighting leading international models such as digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI), and spatial and visual data analysis.

Dr. Abdel Hamid underscored how state-of-the-art technologies are boosting city efficiency and agility, leveraging tools like decision-support systems, cloud-based dashboards, and AI-powered analytics. He highlighted that merging AI with geographic data—known as GeoAI—is opening exciting new avenues for urban planning, even as challenges around data accuracy and algorithm reliability remain.

He concluded by stressing that the future of city management lies in integrated smart systems that unite digital analytics, community engagement, and robust cybersecurity, ultimately improving quality of life in Arab cities.

At the conclusion of the session, Dr. Abdullah Daifallah expressed his appreciation to the attendees for their active engagement and meaningful contributions. He commended Dr. Abdel Hamid for his valuable insights and his role in shedding light on such a topic. Dr. Daifallah also underscored the importance of sustaining such discussions through ongoing sessions, which serve to strengthen cooperation and knowledge exchange among urban development professionals.