Al-Haqil: Artificial intelligence and youth are two pillars for building smart and sustainable cities of the future.

Monday 08 June 2026
AAA

During his meeting with academics and students of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Riyadh, His Excellency the Minister of Municipalities and Housing, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, affirmed that the future of Saudi cities depends on innovation and strategic partnership between the government sector and academic institutions, and the role of artificial intelligence as a key tool in developing smart and sustainable cities.

In a session entitled “Towards Smart and Sustainable Cities of the Future,” His Excellency explained that universities are not just academic institutions, but strategic partners leading urban transformation, relying on artificial intelligence to analyze population growth, improve traffic flow, design public spaces in line with the needs of society, and transform complex urban challenges into sustainable development opportunities.

His Excellency pointed out that the scientific research in the Ministry is based on the actual needs of the nation, and includes the development of Saudi algorithms and models in the fields of housing, transportation and sustainability, including predicting the demand for housing, raising the efficiency of energy consumption in buildings, and smart systems for managing water networks to maximize the national impact.

He also explained that the ministry seeks to establish national living laboratories for artificial intelligence applications, from generative urban design to the use of computer vision-enabled drones, to accelerate the transfer of innovation from the laboratory to city streets while ensuring the responsible application of technologies, and to develop a “digital twin” of cities to simulate future scenarios before their implementation and support proactive decision-making based on accurate data to enhance operational efficiency and resource sustainability.

Al-Haqil pointed out that involving students and researchers in real-world projects enables the next generation of experts to use artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly, and that cooperation with universities, including King Saud University, has contributed to the development of urban design programs, the consolidation of Saudi architecture, and the adoption of 19 design guidelines, which has raised the quality of the urban landscape.

He stressed that the adoption of modern technologies such as computer vision and smart monitoring contributed to raising the compliance rate to 64%, reducing operating costs by 80%, and reducing reliance on in-person reviews to 2%, in addition to achieving operational savings exceeding 250 million riyals from improving the quality of road layers.

His Excellency addressed the role of academic experience in shaping leadership vision, explaining that the experience served as a crucible for refining thinking, teaching how to analyze complex problems, work as a team, and bear responsibility—principles now applied in managing more than 140 governorates and cities serving over 15 million people. He also touched upon the role of universities, particularly King Fahd University, in building smart cities, noting that university graduates contribute to activating the Municipal Sector Impact Assessment Framework ( MCIF ). Through 14 indicators to analyze data and transform it into decisions and tangible impact.

His Excellency pointed to the fundamental shift in the work philosophy from developing services to re-engineering the way of thinking and decision-making, explaining that this shift raised residents’ satisfaction with municipal services from 49% to more than 65%, satisfaction with the cleanliness of cities from 53% to 76%, and reduced the percentage of waste treatment in unhealthy ways from 64% to 49%.

He added that cognitive cities represent the future of urban life, where data and advanced technologies are used to proactively manage huge assets, including more than 8,000 parks and public squares and a road network spanning more than 196,000 kilometers, to ensure quality of life and resource sustainability.

Al-Haqil emphasized that scientific research translates into tangible economic value when applied in practice, through improved asset management efficiency, the creation of startups, and direct operational savings such as enhancing the quality of road construction layers and reducing construction and energy costs. This, in turn, strengthens sustainability and makes cities more attractive to investment. He also discussed the role of modern construction technologies, 3D printing, and drones, focusing on localizing these technologies in the Kingdom and developing national talent to ensure the development of smart cities led by local expertise.

His Excellency the Minister concluded his speech by emphasizing that the Ministry’s ambition is to build an integrated national model that combines knowledge and decision-making, driven by the power of artificial intelligence, to serve the entire nation and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Comments and suggestions

For any inquiries or comments about government services, please fill out the required information.

Last Updated:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia