Sharjah: H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, attended a panel discussion titled 'How to Move Towards Smart and Sustainable Cities.' The session, organized in partnership with Invest Bank, was part of the 14th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) held in Sharjah.
According to Emirates News Agency, the event featured notable speakers, including Sheikh Saud bin Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director-General of Sharjah Digital Department; Sherif Tawfik, Chief Partnerships Officer for AI and Sovereign Cloud at Microsoft; Gary Burniske, Managing Director of the Center for Global Food Security at Purdue University; and student Rayan Bouslimi, winner of the International AI Olympiad in China.
Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi highlighted the importance of a solid partnership between the public and private sectors in building smart cities. He explained that while governments provide the vision, innovation and talent are essential for delivering the added value needed to achieve it. He emphasized that Sharjah leverages global experiences to enhance growth and progress, and the success of smart cities relies on data availability and integrated efforts across various entities rather than isolated actions.
He further noted that Sharjah has initiated one of the largest partnerships with technology companies, acknowledging that governments cannot accomplish this mission alone. He added that the rapid development of smart cities necessitates meeting people's daily needs through precise studies that consider their priorities.