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GCC plans to build smart cities

Kuwait is planning to set up major housing projects like Sabah Al-Ahmad City and Nawaf Al-Ahmad City, along with about 270,000 housing units. (Image source: Asif Akbar/sx.hu)

The Gulf authorities plan to adopt the Smart Cities plan as part of the new housing projects being implemented in the GCC countries, according to an official

Arab News reported that Kuwait?s state minister for housing affairs Yasser Abdul said that adopting the Smart Cities plan within the new housing projects in the GCC countries is aimed at rationalising energy usage at large.

?The issue will be discussed in the next Gulf ministerial meeting,? he added.

At the meeting, the housing ministers in the GCC countries would exchange plans from other ministries such as the Planning Ministry for greater unification in programme development.

?The plans will be considered within the framework of the regional structural plan, as well as each country?s vision for sustainable electricity use. The overall goals include saving energy, and using modern technology to overcome the existing problems in the health and transport services,? Abdul noted.

According to Kamal bin Abdullah Al Hamad, secretary general of Gulf Engineering Union, the sustainable development of the Gulf communities can only be achieved only through the integration of three development elements ? The economic, social and the environmental aspects.

Al-Hamad was speaking during the forum on ?Smart Solutions for Future Cities? held earlier this month is , where he expressed his hope that the recommendations made there materialise into firm decisions that contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

?The recommendations can be translated into serious government work that will help foster the best and most optimal use of resources and the management of facilities to eliminate many shortcomings and flaws,? he added.