DUBAI: Dubai is among the smartest cities in the world, alongside Barcelona, Toronto and San Francisco, said the founder and president of the Future Cities Council.

“We studied 362 smart cities across the globe,” said Dr. Oualid Ali, adding that smart cities use technology and innovation to facilitate their residents’ lives.

“Blockchain, drones and 3D printing are among the technologies that Dubai has already embraced,” he said.

“We’ve studied more than 66 emerging technologies within 45 sectors, and most of them are already deployed in Dubai.”

Most of its smart initiatives and services target the economy and governance, and “tie into the Dubai Plan 2021, which aims to build a world-class city through empowering themes such as smart and sustainable living,” Ali said.

Sarfaraz Alam, chairman and president of information technology firm Texpo, said: “Dubai is well placed and well ahead… compared to many neighboring countries.” 

He added: “Geographically, Dubai has an edge in the region due to its already-set-up infrastructure. By 2022, Dubai will have fully functional smart communities.”

Alam, who has provided technology support to various smart projects of Dubai’s government, said. “The concept of smart cities is to optimize available resources.” 

He added: “I believe that smart cities will help the common person save on major costs that can’t be avoided in normal means of living.”

He said: “The whole idea of living in a smart city is to protect the environment as much as possible.”

He added: “A better way of living on limited resources can only happen in smart cities. They’ll help humans live lives in a much more effective manner than before.”