Smart Cities in Africa and the Middle East: Regional Status & Key Case Studies

Smart Cities in Africa and the Middle East: Regional Status & Key Case Studies

Summary

Growing urban demographics and the rapid expansion of cities forces governments to deploy smart city solutions to sustain city services, drive economic competitiveness, and enable a thriving environment in Africa and the Middle East (AME). Smart city initiatives in the region predominantly focus on four areas: mobility, security, sustainability, and public services.

The focus of smart city projects varies from one city to another across the region, based on the set of challenges and opportunities each city presents. Countries in the Middle East are more engaged in projects aimed at improving public services, security, and quality of life, while a number of countries in Africa are investing in developing mobility and smart utility solutions as well as closing the connectivity gap.

A number of countries in AME tend to design and build cities from scratch, making them smart by design (e.g., Lusail, Aljada, and Masdar). Telecom operators in the region design smart city blueprints (e.g., strategies, concepts, guidelines, major features, stakeholders, business models and location, etc.) for new cities. This approach allows telcos to leverage conceptual, methodological, and operational knowledge of the smart city in order to offer smart city products, secure partnerships, and bring long-term revenue growth.

Connectivity in parts of the region poses challenges to smart city project development. Underdeveloped ICT infrastructure in a number of African countries undermines the implementation of smart city projects. As a result, the focus of smart city initiatives in the region is aimed at fast developing and expanding fixed and mobile communication networks.

The report "Smart Cities in Africa and the Middle East: Regional Status & Key Case Studies", provides an executive-level overview of the smart city market in Africa and the Middle East (AME). It delivers deep qualitative insights into the smart city market, smart city value chain and ecosystem dynamics in the region. It also analyzes key trends and smart city projects being implemented in AME.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the following -

• Smart cities taxonomy & market context: an overview of the smart city context in AME and analysis of the smart city value-chain and role of telcos


• The situation of smart cities in AME: an overview on the main smart city opportunities and challenges and how these are driving and impacting smart city investments. This section also an analyzes telcos' role within smart city projects in AME


• Smart city case studies: this section details the business model and strategies of two smart city projects in AME. It also details telcos' involvement in these projects


• Key findings and recommendations: the insider concludes with a number of key findings and a set of recommendations for smart city stakeholders, including telecom service providers

Companies mentioned: Actility, Aecom, Averpeek, BSC, Cisco, Cowi, Ericsson, Hepta Analytics, Huawei, Hyder consulting, Inmarsat, Jacobs ch2m, KT corporation, Liquid Telecom, MTN, Nokia, Ooredoo, Qatar Mobility, Innovation Center, Senseta, Thales, TigoAirtel, Traffic Tech, Vodafone, YegoCabs, YegoMoto

Scope

• AME is a heterogeneous smart cities market with projects are at different stages of development across the region.


• Governments are playing a key role in leading and funding smart city projects in AME.


• Telcos are heavily engaged in providing connectivity solutions through investments in fixed and mobile networks.


• A number of telcos are also ramping up their smart city offerings to move up the smart city value stack and capture new revenue streams.

Reasons to buy

• This Insider Report provides a comprehensive examination of the value chain and business models of smart city projects in Africa and the Middle East. It helps executives fully understand smart city market dynamics, determine key smart city positionning strategies, formulate effective product development plans and optimize return on investments.


• Two case studies illustrate the findings of the report, providing insights around two smart city projects in the region, including scope, services, budgets and timelines. The case studies also give an overview of the type of smart city solutions, use cases and value propositions telcos have rolled out. This will help telecom executives craft adapted smart city strategies to unlock new revenue streams.


• The report discusses concrete opportunities in the smart cities market, providing a number of actionable recommendations for smart city market participants, including telecom service providers.