Abu Dhabi, 9th April– A distinguished gathering of global leaders, innovators, and policymakers convened at this year's AIM Congress,where they explored the transformative role of technology in advancing sustainable and human-centric urban development. The event brought together trailblazers from the public and private sectors, multilateral organizations, and academia, offering strategic insights into building the smart, resilient cities of tomorrow.

A major highlight of the conference was the “Smart Cities and Human-Centric Innovation”session, which featured powerful insights on urban transformation:

·Akram Awad, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), shared his expertise as BCG's Global Lead for Smart Cities, emphasizing the importance of people-centered strategies in the Middle East's urban evolution.

·Amy Marie Hochadel, Vice President of Urban Lab at Expo City Dubai, highlighted innovative governance models that place local authorities at the heart of urban innovation.

·Dr. Ahmad Alnafessah, Smart City Advisor at the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), presented cutting-edge use cases of AI, big data, and digital twins in powering Saudi Arabia's smart city agenda.

·Edlam Yemeru, Acting Director of External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge & Innovation at UN-Habitat, reflected on two decades of shaping sustainable urban policies across Africa and beyond.

·Eunbyul Cho, Head of Program Department at the WeGO Secretariat, showcased global smart city programs and the impact of initiatives such as the Seoul Smart City Prize.

·Hazem Galal, Partner and Global Leader for Cities & Local Government at PwC, offered a strategic overview of smart mobility, sustainability, and competitiveness across 40+ urban markets.

·Isabel Shirin Enyonam Wetzel, Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat's Innovation Unit, spoke on leveraging climate-smart technologies and innovation to drive inclusive economic growth.

·Safder Nazir, SVP Public Sector at Huawei Technologies, discussed digital infrastructure's role in enabling city-wide innovation, with a focus on Huawei's Net Zero Campus initiative.

·Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), emphasized the central role of renewables in creating future-ready, sustainable urban environments.

Presentation Highlight: Visionary Architects of Sustainable Investment

Dmitry Kaminskiy, General Partner at Deep Knowledge Group, led a thought-provoking session on frontier technologies—including Longevity, DeepTech, and AI—and their impact on reshaping infrastructure and urban investment in the era of the 5th Industrial Revolution.

Fireside Chat: The Game-Changing Impact of 5G on Next-Gen Cities

A dynamic fireside chat explored how 5G is redefining urban connectivity, governance, and service delivery:

·Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA at GSMA, shared insights on regional 5G readiness and the evolution of mobile 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 – Data Center Infrastructure Strategy, APAC at Microsoft, outlined Microsoft's data infrastructure strategies that support smart city scalability and sustainability.

Leadership in Action: Government and Industry Perspectives

The event also spotlighted influential leaders shaping national and regional development:

·Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Nigeria, presented his administration's urban renewal agenda, which focuses on youth empowerment and grassroots-led economic revitalization.

·Hakan Ozdemir, CEO of Smart Infrastructure Middle East at Siemens, demonstrated how AI, automation, and cybersecurity are transforming digital cities.

·Khaled Hashim, President of Honeywell International Middle East Ltd., emphasized infrastructure modernization and energy transition strategies, sharing insights from his cross-sector leadership experience.

-Ends-

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