Page 13 - Cohesive PR REPORT - JULY 2025

8/1/25, 1:16 PM Why our new Smart Cities must put citizens first – Intelligent CIO Europe
days they shared experiences and evidence regarding digital approaches to work and how they have
increased efficiency and provided the organisations adopting them with a competitive edge.

They explored how digital twins can support developers across the lifecycle to create places which
enhance quality of living, help keep people safe and help core services such as traffic management
and people flow to be managed effectively.

They also studied examples of those programmes in the Middle East which are already benefiting from
digital twin technology such as Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, a sustainable urban development, which is
using digital twins to optimise energy usage and resource management.

I talked about the importance of a common/connected data environment as the foundation for any
infrastructure programme and why data quality and governance are key to unlocking the potential of
digital twins, AI and other technologies.

Smart skills

To build, manage and operate Smart Cities fit for today’s world, we must also consider core areas such
as the incentivisation of outcomes, not outputs, in contracts.

Skills too are a vital part of the mix. The teams involved with these mega programmes must include
not just traditional construction and engineer professionals but data and digital specialists with the
necessary experience and knowledge to ensure long-lasting, high performing and sustainable
infrastructure.

The Middle East is positioning itself as a global hub for smart infrastructure development. With
consideration of all of this it will show the world that its cities are resilient, sustainable and highly
attuned to the needs of their citizens.

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