411m Middle East population in 2016
By: Alaa Elshimy, MD & SVP, Huawei Enterprise Business Group, Middle East
MD & SVP, Huawei Enterprise Business Group, Middle East
RAPID URBAN POPULATION growth means that smart infrastructure and transport systems will be crucial to the economic growth of our region. Fortunately, we predict that 2018 will be the year when great progress is achieved in this field. This is the case for two reasons: firstly a recognition among the region’s leadership of its benefits, especially in terms of safety; and secondly, the development of technology that is placing autonomous vehicles within the reach of advanced nations such as those in the GCC.
To achieve safer driving through connected cars, we have to look at integrated ICT solutions. We are seeing amazing technologies arise, and any innovation in this space will have huge benefits – saving lives and billions of dollars year in, year out.
Many modes of transport are adopting this outlook. One such technology is the Urban Railways Cloud solution. The exponential growth of urban railways makes network-based operations an inevitable trend. For rail transit administrators of large and mid-sized cities, the key challenge is how to improve operations while ensuring safety. Our Urban Rail Cloud solution is highly reliable in this regard.
These kinds of technologies are effective tools for addressing congested cities – the Middle East suffers from this in most of its major hubs. Although not all are ready for adoption of this kind, there’s never a better time to discuss the benefits – as it’s not all about urban rail systems.
To make smart operations a reality, urban rail needs to be connected with buses, intercity railways, airports and shipping to support connected transport services. This will also help better protect the environment.
Huawei and its partners have made great strides in local markets to push the boundaries of what is possible in smart transportation. Some of the region’s nations are starting to look like impressive examples, setting high standards for global best practice. We expect that 2018 will witness continued progress regionally in adopting the most cutting-edge of smart transportation technologies worldwide.
