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UOB President: Bahrain’s Advanced Technological Infrastructure Qualifies It to Embrace Smart Cities
125 Research Papers Discussed at the 7th Smart Cities Symposium
UOB President: Bahrain’s Advanced Technological Infrastructure Qualifies It to Embrace Smart Cities
Dr. Fuad Mohammed Al-Ansari, President of the University of Bahrain, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain possesses an advanced technological infrastructure that enables it to embrace the concept of smart cities. He emphasized the University’s commitment to keeping pace with the latest scientific and technological developments through its research and scientific forums, which aim to advance society, empower individuals, and develop innovative solutions across various fields.
Dr. Al-Ansari made these remarks during his opening speech at the 7th IET Smart Cities Symposium, organized by the University of Bahrain in collaboration with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), United Kingdom.
He highlighted the University’s accumulated expertise in digital twinning for smart cities, and its efforts to encourage faculty members to expand their research and studies in this area. This concept that refers to creating a comprehensive digital replica of the urban environment using digital technology and data—enabling decision-makers to make more effective choices for urban development and improving residents’ quality of life.
Dr. Al-Ansari stressed the importance of hosting this forum at the University, which serves as a center of expertise on many developmental topics. He noted that UOB faculty members serve as experts and consultants to several international organizations, and that this event provides an opportunity to strengthen the University’s local, regional, and global scientific ties in smart cities research.
He further emphasized the need to raise awareness among the new generation of researchers about the future prospects of smart cities and encouraged collaborative studies and joint research projects in this field. The main objective of the forum, he explained, is to create a platform that brings together smart city researchers, developers, and decision-makers to discuss and exchange ideas, stimulate collaborative research, and promote research and development projects in the area.
Dr. Al-Ansari expressed hope that the forum would mark a new beginning for smart city initiatives in Bahrain and the region, particularly as it attracts numerous decision-makers discussing both local and regional development plans.
The three-day forum brought together distinguished participants from universities, research centers, and civil institutions, and featured 125 research papers, including six keynote presentations. The papers covered diverse topics such as health, community applications, transportation, educational networks, sustainability, smart city needs, new technologies, interactive architecture, smart urban planning and design solutions, technology-enabled homes and interiors, robotics in smart cities, smart infrastructure, the Internet of Things, smart applications, cybersecurity, smart homes, smart hospitals, smart campuses, green computing, and big data analytics.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in the UK will publish the research papers on its website, which is linked to global publishing systems.
