The Establishment of Smart Cities: Existing Challenges and Opportunities – The Case of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have improved the quality of people’s lives during the past few decades by performing urban services to build “super cities,” sometimes referred to as smart cities. The expansion of smart city programs across the globe is a strategic response by governments to deal with current issues. The goal of the smart city is to use ICTs and knowledge to enhance infrastructure management and city administration. Smart cities have been the subject of several studies, but Saudi Arabia has seen very few of these studies. Due to the region’s religious background and pilgrimage activities, this researcher has examined the requirement for ICT framework and made a proposal. In order to meet all requirements for smart cities in the near future, this research suggests a workable ICT model framework and aims to examine smart cities in terms of potential advantages and obstacles to their development in the Kingdom. It also offers a model for creating smart cities in the Kingdom. The study on Saudi Arabia’s smart city projects is intended to boost the advantages of beginning to develop smart cities throughout the Kingdom.