Dubai and Abu Dhabi topped the region in the IMD Global Competitiveness Center's Smart Cities Index 2019. According to the report, which is based on a survey that focuses on the opinion of urban dwellers and who believes that politics must be adapted to the lives and needs of citizens, Dubai is the smartest city in the region.
The first edition of the IMD Global Competitiveness Center's Smart Cities Index was developed in partnership with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), which ranks 102 cities around the world.
This new indicator is based on how people perceive the scope and impact of efforts to make their cities “smart” and balance “economic and technological aspects” taking into account “human dimensions”.
The report, which aims to serve as a reference and tool for building inclusive, smart and dynamic cities, seeks to bridge the gap between the aspirations and needs of the population, and the political trends in the way cities are built.
Residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi were more satisfied with their cities than Paris, Chicago, Osaka, and Tokyo, due to their positive evaluation of the government's efforts and success in adopting smart technologies to improve the lives of citizens in their cities, as well as their satisfaction with their urban environment and the services provided.
Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi perform strongly in public safety, smooth access to medical and cultural services, and lifelong learning opportunities from local institutions. In addition, residents of the two cities praised the provision of e-services provided by the government, which facilitated the start-up of new businesses and the processing of identity documents online, which reduced waiting times.
Professor Arturo Press, Director of the International Competitiveness Center of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), believes that Dubai and Abu Dhabi are pioneers in the use of city technology to improve the lives of the population. “I wouldn't be surprised to see the great applause in the polls in both cities about how technology is being applied, in order to raise their standard of living,” he says.
Press believes that Abu Dhabi and Dubai will set an example for the region, which other cities will apply to become smarter. “Abu Dhabi and Dubai are leading smart cities in the MENA region in terms of quality of technology and social services to improve quality of life. , The focus of the two cities on city planning and design will remain a role model. ”
Bruno Lanvin, president of the IMD Smart City Observatory, argues that city intelligence cannot be measured by a one-size-fits-all approach.Although all leading cities are highly valued in some standardized indicators, the requirements of a particular city's population are different. In another city, which assesses the real impact of the intelligence of the city in the daily lives of citizens. For example, Zurich has a strong performance in public transport and smooth access to medical and cultural services. The citizens of Oslo are praised for the quality of "circular economy" solutions, online voting, and the power of a bicycle-centered transport network