Global Experts Discuss Future Of Smart Cities At AIM Congress 2025

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Apr, 2025) The AIM Congress 2025 featured high-level panel discussions today that explored the role of technology in promoting sustainable urban development, with participation from global leaders, innovators, policymakers, and pioneers from the public and private sectors.

The sessions delivered strategic insights on building smart, resilient cities for the future. The panel titled "Smart Cities and Human-Centric Innovation" focused on mechanisms to drive urban transformation.

Akram Awad, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), emphasised the importance of human-centric strategies in the development of cities in the middle East. Amy Marie Hochadel, Vice President of the Urban Lab at Expo Dubai, highlighted innovative governance models that place cities at the core of urban innovation. Dr. Ahmad Alnafessah, Smart City Advisor at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), presented advanced use cases of AI, big data, and digital twins supporting Saudi Arabia’s smart city agenda. Edlam Yemeru, Acting Director of External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge and Innovation at UN-Habitat, shared two decades of experience in shaping sustainable urban policies across Africa and beyond. Eunbyul Cho, Head of the Program Department at the WeGO Secretariat, spotlighted global smart city programs and the impact of initiatives such as the Seoul Smart City prize.

Hazem Galal, Partner and Global Leader for Cities and Local Government at PwC, offered a strategic outlook on smart mobility, sustainability, and competitiveness across more than 40 urban markets. Isabel Shirin Enyonam Wetzel, Programme Management Officer in the Innovation Unit at UN-Habitat, discussed how climate-smart technologies and innovation can be harnessed to achieve inclusive economic growth.

Safder Nazir, Senior Vice President for the Public Sector at Huawei, spoke on the role of digital infrastructure in enabling innovation at the city level. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), emphasised the central role of renewable energy in creating sustainable, future-ready urban environments.

Dmitry Kaminskiy, General Partner at Deep Knowledge Group, underlined the importance of frontier technologies and AI in reshaping urban infrastructure and investment in the age of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.

In a panel discussion titled “How 5G is Redefining Urban Connectivity, Governance, and Service Delivery,” Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA at GSMA, provided insights on the region’s 5G readiness and the evolution of telecom infrastructure. Omar Radaideh, Head of Government Projects at KQTel, discussed regulatory alignment and policy support for advanced digital technologies in the UAE.

Pritam Goyal, Principal Program Manager for Data Architecture Strategy in Asia-Pacific at microsoft, stressed the importance of data architecture strategies that enable scalability and sustainability in smart cities.

Additional sessions featured forward-looking perspectives from top government and industry leaders. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Nigeria, presented his city renewal agenda, focusing on youth empowerment and economic revitalisation through grassroots initiatives.

Hakan Ozdemir, CEO of Smart Infrastructure Middle East at Siemens, highlighted the role of AI, automation, and cybersecurity in driving digital city transformation. Khaled Hashim, President of Honeywell International Middle East, emphasised infrastructure modernisation and energy transition strategies in building smart cities.