Meeza’s significant contributions to Qatar's urban development took centre stage at a panel discussion at the 3rd edition of Smart City Expo Doha yesterday, exploring the tangible impact of data-driven approaches in shaping smart cities.
“We take a lot of pride in the fact that we’ve done three smart cities, smart campus-type projects right here in Qatar,” Meeza’s chief commercial officer Dr engineer Fadi Nasser told attendees of the talk at Expo 2023 Doha’s Congress Centre.
He was joined by fellow panellists Tomas Vacha, innovation manager, CEO – Operator ICT; and Mohammed al-Delaimi, executive director – Strategy & Corporate Planning at Es’hailSat, at the discussion, titled “Harnessing Data: The New Currency for Urban Strategies”.
The talk focused on the crucial role of data in the heart of smart cities, with Dr Nasser stressing the importance of aligning on basic understandings. He categorised data into structured and unstructured types, explaining that for “a truly smart city”, platforms and data cultures must seamlessly incorporate both, including hybrid data with structured and unstructured elements.
“For you to have a truly smart city, your platform, your data warehouses, your data culture has to adopt all three notions,” Dr Nasser said. “Your AI ML (machine learning) and DL (Deep Learning) models have to really be able to analyse all these data so they can understand the data and you can chart it and report on it in a way that makes sense.”
Dr Nasser also explored various applications of smart city data, ranging from urban infrastructure planning and fleet management to energy and water resource optimisation.
Public safety, he pointed out, is a significant aspect, with technologies like CCTV facial recognition playing a vital role.
The Meeza official underlined the importance of economic and environmental sustainability in smart city projects. He noted that technology should not only be integrated with significant capital expenditures but should also generate revenues, ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of smart cities.
“Smart means economically sustainable as well as environmentally sustainable,” he reiterated.
Addressing the theme of the expo, “A World of Data: Connecting People, Elevating Lives”, Dr Nasser shed light on the vision of Cognitive Cities, where the environment becomes cognitive and aware of individuals.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to transform data into information, extract wisdom, and empower decision-makers to optimise resource usage for better environmental impact and quality of life.
Dr Nasser underlined Meeza’s live case of adopting smart data and AI into their cybersecurity practice, showcasing the practical integration of innovative technologies in real-world scenarios.