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Tribune News Network
Doha
THE Arab Future Cities Summit Qatar to be held in Doha next year will emphasise on the initiatives that support Qatar's national cyber security capabilities along with challenges present in providing a safe and secure online environment as the nation transforms to becoming a smart city.
Qatar is one of the fastest growing IT markets in the Middle East region and as part of the government's ICT-2015 strategy, the government had outlined plans to invest QR6bn ($1.6 billion) in information technology and IT services.
Cyber security features as an integral part of Qatar government's strategy framework. The Ministry of Transport & Communications' National Cyber Security Strategy aims to safeguard national critical information infrastructure and provide a safe and secure online environment.
Brad Hariharan, regional director, Expotrade Middle East, organisers of the Arab Future Cities Summit Qatar commented,"Given that technology has become more pervasive and we live in a digitally connected world, the need for secure cyber architecture has become more vital than ever before. The emergence of new technologies has also created new challenges around security and city governance. At the Arab Future Cities Summit Qatar, we will have experts from the government and sector specialists highlight the significance of technologies that play a crucial role in building a safe and secure smart city."
With the widespread adoption of ICT, the evolution of cities to smart cities has been fairly rapid. It is estimated countries across the globe will spend $41 trillion on smart city investments in the next 20 years. The rate of growth is unprecedented and represents both a challenge and an opportunity for government, public and private organizations to reshape the way they work with information.
Creating a safe, reliable and smart city is replete with challenges. Information security and ensuring seamless connectivity across all aspects of the smart city ecosystem transport, city services, public health and safety are major concerns when implementing smart city initiatives. Industry reports estimate the cyber security market in the Middle East region is expected to grow to $9.56 billion in 2019.
