KUWAIT-- Establishing smart and sustainable cities has become inevitable amid world development challenges, said Kuwaiti Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr. Nader Al-Jalal Tuesday.

The minister made the statement in a keynote speech he delivered on behalf of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah during the International Conference on Smart Management and Innovation for Sustainable Cities (ICSMI-Kuwait), organized by Kuwait-based Arab Open University.

Smart management is considered to be a core element of fast-track transition towards smart cities that are characterized by efficiency and adaptation to environmental changes, he said, underlining the significance of capitalizing on technology to upgrade service quality and achieve sustainability of resources and innovation. He added that the State of Kuwait attaches much attention to the necessity of backing innovation and investment in the future only out of belief that technology and smart management constitute two key pillars of a prosperous economy, advanced society and sustainable environment.

He restated His Highness the Prime Minister's unwavering commitment towards supporting innovation and attaining sustainable development goals at the behest of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, who have instructed converting Kuwait into a financial and economic hub based on knowledge and innovation as part of the country's 2035 development vision.
On his part, Chairman of Arab Open University's Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al-Saud addressed the conference by deeming it a platform for experts, scholars and decision-makers from all over the world to share ideas and expertise in order to shape the future of smart cities and ensure sustainable development goals.

He underlined the crucial role of technology and innovation in building smart cities able to respond to present and future challenges and to fulfill societal aspirations for a modern and sustainable environment. He hoped that the gathering would come up with concrete recommendations and findings that could push Arab governments to adopt strategies of smart cities and launching effective steps to put them in place in the context of comprehensive development blueprints.

President of Arab Open University Dr. Mohammad Al-Zakari said that the conference came out of the facility's deep commitment to buttressing Kuwait Vision 2035 and sustainable development goals. He stressed that his university believes that development is contingent upon modern innovations and future technologies that would unquestionably play a pivotal role in shaping hopefully smarter, and more sustainable and innovative cities.

He added that the conference mainly aimed at enriching knowledge of strategic planning and smart cities, taking sustainability into account with a view to revamping vital services, thus fulfilling the needs of modern societies in an efficient and effective manner. 

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