Global Scans · Smart Cities · Weekly Summary

• [New] Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to lead demand due to national AI strategies, digital-government initiatives, smart-city investments and large-scale cloud infrastructure projects. Dimension Market Research
• [New] China will likely lead in Asia Pacific in 2026 with a share of about 39.4%, as it is rapidly expanding renewable energy, ultra-high-voltage transmission networks, battery storage, and smart grid infrastructure. Persistence Market Research
• [New] As smart infrastructure continues to expand, regional experts expect edge analytics to become standard practice by 2026. ETCIO EMEA
• Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR of 13.2% from 2026 to 2034 due to the rapid expansion of maritime logistics infrastructure and smart port development across emerging economies. Polaris
• Combined with connected technologies and smart city initiatives, autonomous vehicles could play a central role in reshaping urban environments over the coming decades. South Summit
• The Middle East and Africa are opening new opportunities through sovereign AI programs, smart city investments, and critical infrastructure protection work in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Mordor Intelligence
• The UAE's smart city ambitions - across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and RAK - will require significant software engineering capacity for years to come. UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING UAE
• The Building Resilient Livelihoods Through Water-Smart Value Chains program provides a significant opportunity for organizations working in Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen climate resilience, improve agricultural productivity, and expand economic opportunities through sustainable water management. fundsforNGOs - Grants and Resources for Sustainability
• The smart city concept has the potential to boost the economic development of global cities by 5% and deliver $20 trillion in additional economic benefits by 2026, said a report released ahead the Future Cities Show in Dubai. tradearabia
• Fastest-growing Region: Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow fastest due to industrial digitization, government policy support, and adoption across BFSI, healthcare, and smart city sectors. Persistence Market Research
• For tech businesses, UAE's smart city ambitions create significant commercial opportunities. UAE Freezone Compare
• Government initiatives and investments in intelligent transportation infrastructure are expected to drive 5G growth in China's automotive and smart transportation markets by 2033. Straits Research
• Smart Cities World Autonomous vehicles are expected to significantly decrease traffic accidents and fatalities. The Journll Blog
• Other use cases with more than one billion IoT devices by 2033 are connected (autonomous) vehicles, IT infrastructure, asset tracking & monitoring, and smart grid. Statista
• The system segment is projected to register the fastest growth at a CAGR of 37.4% during 2026-2034, supported by rising adoption of smart factories, intelligent infrastructure, and enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives. Straits Research
• A steady rise in Middle East and Africa is anticipated over the forecast period owing to the growing investments in digital infrastructure, smart cities, and artificial intelligence adoption. Polaris
• The software / platforms segment is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years, as cities use centralized systems to handle and examine data produced by different smart city activities. Precedence Research
• Through the integration of AI-driven energy management systems and smart infrastructure, the UAE aims to improve overall national energy efficiency by 45% by 2050, positioning digitalization as a key enabler of sustainability. SmartPropel Lithium Battery
• The sensors segment is predicted to witness the highest CAGR 13.4% from 2026 to 2034 due to the proliferation of intelligent systems in automotive, healthcare, and smart cities. Market Data Forecast
• Saudi Arabia has been moving forward with Vision 2030 with large-scale smart cities initiatives like NEOM to foster AI, IoT, smart mobility, and digital infrastructure. Precedence Research

Last updated: 07 September 2026