SAUDI Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Eng. Abdul Latif bin Abdul Malik Al-Sheikh honored Al Arabia Outdoor Advertising for sponsoring and participating in the first Saudi Smart Cities Conference organized by the Ministry and held in Riyadh on the 16th of May 2017. The conference explored topics related to the future development of Saudi cities, including intelligent urban planning, smart city governance, and intelligent mobility among many others. The participation of Al Arabia in the event emphasizes the importance of the outdoor advertising industry in building the identity of smart cities as well as the industry's adoption of technology and innovation towards the formation of the futuristic cities. The conference drew over 700 participants from around the world, and included a competition for Saudi youth to provide innovative smart solutions for Saudi cities in smart urban planning, intelligent transportation, smart Haj and many others. Mohammed Al-Khereiji, CEO of Al-Arabia Outdoor Advertising, said: «We are delighted to receive the Arab Foreign Advertising Award from His Excellency the Minister, and we are proud to be the strategic partner of the first Saudi Smart Cities Conference under the slogan ‘Smart Solutions for a Better Life.' As a leading company in the outdoor advertising industry, we have a lot to contribute towards innovative future solutions that keep pace with the needs and requirements of the people, in addition to the social and economic development of Saudi cities. It is important that these contributions are in line with the programs implemented by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs towards building the identity of these cities to achieve sustainable urbanization in the Kingdom. «We will continue to support innovative Saudi initiatives and contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of the Kingdom, in line with vision 2030 and our responsibility and role as a leading Saudi company in the outdoor advertising industry,» Al Khuraiji added. The Smart City concept is about using ICT to improve urban lifestyles, achieve sustainability, find intelligent solutions to address urban and environmental problems, and manage cities and infrastructure in effective and smart ways. Several countries are developing and implementing strategies and action plans to build smart cities in accordance to specific policies. As part of its social responsibility and business strategy, Al Arabia supports innovative local initiatives in Saudi Arabia and is dedicated to serving the Saudi society.
