University of Bahrain Hosts the 9th IET Smart Cities Symposium

The University of Bahrain (UoB), in partnership with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), organised the 9th Smart Cities Symposium from 1 to 3 December 2025. The event was held in hybrid format with virtual access, with technical support from the IET in the United Kingdom.

The symposium aimed to raise awareness of the prospects of smart cities, to bring together academics, industry experts, researchers, decision-makers and policy makers, and to promote innovative solutions for green and smart cities in the region. Accepted papers are to be submitted for indexing in IET Inspec, IEEE Xplore and Scopus, subject to IET publication standards.

The programme included keynote speeches by seven international experts. Prof. Michele Fiorini (Leonardo S.p.A., Italy) addressed smart maritime transportation and ICT solutions and digitisation for more efficient and sustainable ports and shipping. Dr. Roy Hachache (Milestone Systems, Canada) spoke on data mining and cybersecurity for smart cities. Dr. Manish Billore (Sagar Institute of Science and Technology, India) discussed smart and sustainable manufacturing as a strategic necessity for current and future smart cities. Dr. Suresh Vishwakarma (IET, Canada) reviewed the role of hydrogen energy in developing sustainable smart cities. Ms. Ria Narula (Connecticut, USA) addressed the integration of sustainable waste management into the design of future smart cities. Prof. Garima Aggarwal (Amity University, India) presented advanced cryptographic techniques for protecting biometric information and ensuring data privacy in smart urban environments. Dr. Tagore Ramlal (Chair, IET Trinidad and Tobago) spoke on intelligent grid technology for resilient and sustainable power systems in Small Island Developing States.

Over three days, parallel sessions covered the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence in healthcare, cybersecurity and blockchain, smart transportation, smart energy and renewable systems, digital twins, smart homes, hospitals and campuses, robotics, and smart city design. Researchers from universities across the region and internationally presented their work, including UoB faculty and students.