GCC Leading Smart Cities Market
French automation and electrification giant Schneider Electric has said that the Middle East and North Africa, and especially the GCC, are spearheading the US$2.6 billion global Smart Cities market.
According to a recent report by Grand View Research, the Smart Cities market is set to reach US$2.6 trillion by 2025, and the prevalence of global connected things set to nearly double from 11 billion in 2018 to 20 billion by 2020.
Caspar Herzberg, President of Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa, said: “The Middle East and North Africa, especially with initiatives across the GCC, are spearheading global Smart Cities innovations to drive economic competitiveness, and enable safe, convenient, and prosperous communities.
Herzberg is a thought leader on Smart Cities and author of the book ‘Smart Cities, Digital Nations’.
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Herzberg added: “The key to building a Smart City goes beyond its technical aspects. Rather, it is essential to foster a sense of collaboration among stakeholders, moving beyond traditional organizational siloes and working towards a common purpose.
“A collaborative approach in tackling today’s urban issues – energy, mobility, sustainability, and wellbeing – is of paramount importance to Schneider Electric, and we look forward to leveraging it as we work together to build the cities of tomorrow.”
Marwan Zeidan, Smart Cities Expert at Schneider Electric, added: “Integrating IT and OT is vital for the region’s Smart Cities to do more with less.
“Smart Cities should optimize existing operational layers, integrate with edge control for distributed intelligence, and use apps, analytics, and services to manage public services in real-time.”
