Minister of Industry Inaugurates A High-level Symposium on Global Sustainable Smart Urbanization

AMMAN------ June 1, 2015------- Under the Patronage of the Jordanian Prime Minister HE Dr. Abdullah Ensour, a High-level Symposium on Global Sustainable Smart Urbanization concluded its activities at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum with the participation of ministers, ambassadors, UN and diplomatic delegations’ representatives, government officials and experts in the field of Smart Urbanization.

Deputizing for the Prime Minister, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, HE Eng. Maha Ali, said that managing and planning civilization for smart cities is an essential and sensitive matter.

"The real challenge placed in front of the decision makers is to rethink in the way in which the cities’ infrastructure is built, the provision of services, involvement of citizens and how to connect the essential systems in order to transform these cities into more sustained and powerful environments," she said.

The Minister added during the seminar which was organized by the Economic Policy Development Forum (EPDF) in the presence of the Executive Director of UN-Habitat. Dr. Joan Clos and HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, President of the EPDF that creativity contributes lively in several fields including; water resources management, efficacy of energy use and transportation infrastructure according to the International Telecommunications Union’s definition of the sustainable smart city, which focuses primarily on the use of ICT and other methods to improve life quality, the efficiency of processes and urban services, the ability to compete and realize the needs of the next generations.

She also said that the ICT infrastructure is seen as the sustainable smart city’s nerve system as it organizes the interaction between different elements and the material infrastructure. It also serves as a founding platform for different kinds of smart services to be based on efficiency and on the best way possible while indicating that a sustainable smart city using ICT infrastructure for many different purposes combines between achieving adaptability, alteration, application and security & safety.

"It also ensures higher living standards, provides more work opportunities, improves the citizens’ wellbeing through: medical care, physical care and safety, education and the services relying on the material infrastructure such as; transportation or water, and reinforces disaster prevention and management when it occurs, including the ability to deal with the effects of climate change and the provision of organization mechanisms and a balanced and efficient governance," she said.          

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said this seminar is a translation of His the directives of Majesty King Abdullah II to work on shifting into a smart society and smart cities, and that achieving such sustainable cities can only be realized by having security and stability which the Kingdom enjoys.  

He then explained that the smart cities project requires all to participate using their expertise as everyone is involved in the smart civilization process that needs to be sustained. He also indicated that well designed cities are seen as freedom, creativity, resilience and resistance platforms, in addition to their ability to generate profit and continue to evolve and grow.

He highlighted that the cities’ civilization process is not an easy process especially when the number of population is on a constant increase in addition to the increase in the number of immigrants to wealthy cities which requires the countries to continue developing their infrastructure, while pointing out that the bigger challenge remains in the fact that 60% of the population are under 25 years old which entails the necessity to continue the provision of work opportunities as this urban population outburst is still unprecedented in other areas.  

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh then pointed out the importance of including all governorates of Jordan in the civilization process and not only Amman, as all governorates should reflect civilized sustainable places to live in.    

He further announced the agreement signed between TAG-Org and Greater Amman Municipality to initiate the project of transforming Amman into a smart city. He also explained that they are working with the UN high representative in Jordan to form two permanent boards; the first for partnership with the private sector and the second as a consulting board for multiple interests representing all Jordanian society sectors.  

The Mayor of Amman, HE Mr. Aqel Beltaji, said that the capital has 20% excess buildings while pointing out that the infrastructure is in need of a lot of development work, namely one billion Jordanian dinars to solve all problems in order to cover consumption burdens.  

He further emphasized the importance of conducting a legislative review in terms of organizing how to endure future population growth while indicating that the number of population is expected to reach 8 to 10 million citizens by the year 2025 in case no other city was identified to receive immigrants from other governorates.  

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works and Housing, Eng. Sami Halsa, said that the international reports indicate that the huge population growth in Jordan is imposing a serious burden on the government especially with the huge influx of Syrian refugees which led the demographic reality to witness a vital change mainly in the capital and Irbid.

The Minister of Transport, Dr. Lina Shabib added that the Ministry of Transport is constantly seeking to provide smart services, wherein they are working in coordination with the municipalities and Amman Municipality to introduce a smart transportation system to the current public transportation, they also plan to integrate it to a system which is being developed to include the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and railway. They also plan to develop the transportation network to increase people’s dependency on public transportation and ease heavy traffic.        

ICT Minister’s representative, Dr. Nael Al-Edwan, said that the Kingdom has come a long way in terms of civilization and construction, and that the idea of smart cities in Jordan is indeed applicable considering the technological capabilities and advanced infrastructure networks reached so far.

He further added that realizing a smart city initiative in the Kingdom needs an efficient real partnership between the public and private sectors and on a comprehensive and integrated level. The general framework is a mutual decision which enables planning and applying the smart city initiative efficiently. 

The Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr.  Clos, said that the organization holds a conference every 20 years to evaluate the international reality, the last being held in 1996 and the third conference will be held in September next year in Kito.

He pointed out that it is expected that the number of earth population will double within the next forty years, while indicating that civilization is a practical phenomenon, which focuses on humans. He indicated that governments, mainly the central, are primarily responsible for providing design and high level of application and the problems faced in those cities are also their responsibility.   

 Head of UN Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, Navid Hanif, said that the UN is working on developing an agenda for next September focusing on achieving 17 objectives covering all life aspects and that the objectives will be set for all countries worldwide. The eleventh objective in the agenda will be about comprehensiveness, integration, investment, creativity and development to achieve sustainable smart civilization. 

Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator of the UN office, Edward Calon, explained that smart cities are hope centers for the future and economic growth. Arab countries have a high rapid growth level which requires planning for a response to such population growth, especially in Jordan, since the demography is mainly formed of youth and their needs should be addressed in such plans in addition to the public services such as; education, housing, transportation and others.