Toward Smart Sustainable Cities in the MENA Region [Video]

Social, political, economic, and environmental changes have led to rapid urbanization and expansion of cities in Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, creating new opportunities, along with challenges, in the development and sustainability of cities. Emerging economic sectors in transportation, infrastructure services, and information and communication technologies will play a vital role in confronting the challenges — which include environmental risks, lack of financial and natural resources, and social disparity in urban areas.

The trend toward developing smart sustainable cities (SSCs) is neither a luxury nor an option: It is a basic requirement to support growth and prosperity while addressing natural and anthropogenic risks. Smart sustainable cities can ensure high efficiency in the consumption of resources, enhance production and production quality across all economic sectors, and absorb and mitigate risk impacts.

This brief highlights the issues facing some Arab MENA countries in developing efficient sustainable cities, including illiteracy, …