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GCC GOVERNMENTS
URGED TO HIRE CHIEF
SMART CITY OFFICERS
TO GUIDE URBAN
DEVELOPMENT
Digital Tools Can Foster
Citizen Experience and
Re-Imagine Cities
G
CC governments must
hire Chief Smart City Officers to ensure the long-term
delivery of Smart Cities, one
of the world’s leading digital experts challenged today.
As Internet of Things technology
decreases in cost and increases in capability, GCC cities such
as Dubai and Masdar City in
the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia’s four Economic Cities,
and Lusail City in Qatar are
using technology to enhance
the citizen experience with urban infrastructure, transportation, and safety and security.
Worldwide,
Smart
Cities
present a market opportunity
of USD 1.6 trillion by 2020,
according to Frost & Sullivan,
with a recent report by Smart
Dubai predicting the city’s
value at stake could reach
nearly USD 5 billion by 2020.
However, Dr Chakib Bouhdary,
Digital Transformation Officer
at SAP, a technology leader in
Smart Cities, argued that without a senior government official
leading Smart City efforts, they
will not reach their full potential.
“Chief Smart City Officers can
make governments more efficient and responsive to citizen
28
February 2016
demands by breaking down
agency silos, forging publicprivate partnerships, and providing the digital tools to manage population growth, citizen
services, and climate resiliency,” added Dr Chakib Bouhdary.
Leading global Smart Cities
have hired Chief Information Officers, Chief Innovation Officers,
or Chief Technology Officers to
guide efforts, including Barcelona, Spain; Boston, United States;
and Cape Town, South Africa.
To further drive city-wide and
nationwide
digitization,
Dr
Chakib Bouhdary also called on
governments, educational institutions, and the private sector to
partner on supporting local talent in learning technology skills.
While in Dubai, Dr Chakib
Bouhdary attended the graduation ceremony of more than
a dozen local youth who
completed a rigorous training program by SAP’s Training and Development Institute.
As part of the Institute’s [