It can sometimes seem that smart city technologies are one of those things that everyone talks about but that few use, fewer understand, or are only of interest to high-tech enthusiasts. Fortunately, the reality is quite different: Smart City technology is here, it’s easy to grasp, and it works to benefit everyone.
At ROSHN, we’re setting new standards for Smart City development, integration, and operation in Saudi Arabia. Let’s consider what we mean by smart city technology. At the most basic level, a smart city is one where key functions, such as traffic flow management, irrigation, and street lighting are digitally linked and controlled – the Internet Of Things (IOT), as it is often called.
The result, is a city where liveability, efficiency, and sustainability are maximised, cutting costs, emissions, and many of the stresses of everyday life.
How? A range of sensors across cities and buildings securely gather data which can then by analysed by human experts with support from cutting-edge AI to ensure these functions operate at their best. And these technologies not only directly benefit quality now, they prepare our cities and communities for the future where technologies become more advanced and more helpful, offering the chance for residents and visitors to benefit directly from new technology that we can simply ‘plug in and play.’
At ROSHN, smart city technology is key to the new way of living for Saudi Arabia that we’re championing; one that’s people-first, future-facing, and sustainably integrated, boosting quality of life for all. So, as we work to transform urban living in the kingdom for the better, we’re making sure our mixed-use projects are as smart as they’re ambitious. This process starts with the first brick of every project. But we’re not talking about stone bricks or concrete mix, we’re talking about digital twins.
In the planning stage, every ROSHN project is first completely visualised in incredible detail by our designers within computers using Building Information Management (BIM) technology. These digital twins serve many purposes: they allow us to troubleshoot issues and prepare construction supply chains ahead of time, enabling us to build at the unprecedented scale and quality we are across the kingdom; and they build an initial digital map that is the foundation of the smart city to be.
As a city or project grows and develops through construction, so does its digital twin. At the project’s completion, the twins remain identical – a far cry from how blueprints and drawings become outdated as projects evolve through construction. Using these digital twins, we can craft homes that are dynamic ecosystems of interconnected technology and design, integrated into similar city-wide connectivity to create living environments that proactively respond to the needs or residents and visitors, business owners and customers, people and nature.
In individual buildings this means everything from intelligent climate control to automated lighting. In the city and community beyond, smart city technology can fine-tune water usage systems (such as irrigation) to reduce consumption without compromising resident needs, ensure efficient waste management with disposal and recycling, manage amenities such as street lighting to maximise efficiency and reduce emissions, and facilitate the shift to active and shared transport modes by improving the convenience and reliability of public and micro transport solutions.
Next-Level Living: Smart Cities Redefined
Furthermore, by incorporating new technologies such as high-speed digital connectivity into our developments we enable efficient remote work, online education, and entertainment streaming. Meanwhile partnerships with new, smart city-enabled services like what3words, the cutting-edge address system, will empower e-commerce and next-level home delivery.
Taken together, smart city technologies – whether in the home or across the city – are enabling the hallmarks of future cities. These include: an improved quality of life for residents and visitors, enriched by technology aimed at putting people at the centre of urban design; future-proofed planning, with flawless digital connectivity and sophisticated IT architectures ready for the next generation of smart tech; and a sustainable infrastructure, as we build a future that’s bright for the next generations of Saudis.
As we enable our own vision through smart city technology, we’re proud to share our experience and expertise across the kingdom, setting new standards and raising the bar for the Saudi construction and real estate sectors.
ROSHN was the first company in the India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (IMETA) region, the third in the global private sector, and one of the top twenty organisations around the world to achieve British Standards Institute (BSI) Kitemarks for Smart Cities. As we build coast-to-coast to transform our kingdom, the partnerships we form are elevated by these standards.
You can experience ROSHN’s smart city technology in action by visiting our iconic lifestyle destinations ROSHN Front in Riyadh and ROSHN sales centres across the kingdom. However, you choose to experience smart city technology, we hope you’ll agree it’s the smart choice for the cities of the future.
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