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Moving toward smart cities: insights from the MENA region

The need for governments to deal with issues such as congestion, scarcity of resources, and waste management became a must to sustain a living. Through using innovative technologies, cities are striving to start a smart city initiative for a better life. However, little is known about the implementation of smart cities and less is provided about the Middle East and North Africa region. This research attempts to embrace the different aspects of smart cities and analyses the readiness of the MENA to move towards this promising project. Interviews were conducted with key decision makers in the MENA region who are involved in smart cities projects. Results highlight the opportunities and key aspects of this project and propose three phases to the implementation of a smart city: foundation, convergence, and transformation.