Smart Mobility in the MENA Region

This research uses mapped urbanization, PESTEL analysis, Smart City projects, and socioeconomic impacts to analyze the MENA region’s outlook on smart mobility. Countries in the MENA region are implementing large-scale smart mobility projects to combat modern urbanization challenges such as traffic congestion, informality, and pollution. Smart mobility in MENA has the potential to solve many of the urbanization challenges facing the region as well as enhance the quality of life of its growing population. Yet the two critical factors of (a) political stability and (b) adequate financial resources are strong necessary conditions for positive longterm impact. With a forward-looking young population and vivid demographics of modern cultural development, many of the MENA countries are expected to pioneer in smart mobility systems in usage and longer-term co-production. Affordability, accessibility, and efficiently usable are production conditions for social acceptance of smart mobility systems in the MENA region, such that citizen self-interests should be aligned with country economic gains. Long term recommended strategies for smart mobility in the MENA region include (1) intensive development of electrified public transportation for mass transport, (2) expansion into uncovered geographical areas using AI monitoring systems, (3) smart mobility investments to be used as a catalyst for economic diversification away from non-renewable energy sources, and (4) smart mobility eco-friendly impacts to lead the region towards long term zero emissions. Finally, (5) a mega Arab World smart mobility railways network is highly recommended, connecting the Gulf countries to Egypt to the Maghreb region, which has the potential to accelerate the MENA region towards higher levels of livelihood and sustainability and enhance the world trade outlook at large.