Knowledge Economic City and Cisco team up to develop world- class connected city in Saudi

Sheikh Ibrahim M. Alissa, chairman of the Madina-based Knowledge Economic City (KEC) and John Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer of Cisco today confirmed that a strategic agreement has been finalised for the infrastructure development of the five-million-square-metre 'smart city' project.

The project is designed to attract global information and communications technology (ICT) firms to establish operations and R&D facilities in Saudi, as well as creating more than 20,000 jobs within the city. Residents should benefit as well, with the initiative providing an attractive and interconnected living environment.

The Knowledge Economic City's expected aggregated investment is approximately $8 billion in the overall development of the city. As part of its 'connected real estate' initiative, Cisco will provide the network architecture for the city.

All buildings in KEC will be interconnected and can be managed over a highly secure Internet Protocol (IP) network, allowing for centralised management and reduced operational costs for the city. The city's network will facilitate data, voice, video and mobile communications across commercial and residential buildings.

KEC's chairman Sheikh Ibrahim M. Alissa, chief executive officer Tahir Bawazir and chief technology officer Mohammad Shah were among those present. Also present was Dr Sami Baroum, managing director of Savola Co, a major shareholder in KEC.

"Smart cities rely on a being able to connect - from basic high-speed connectivity to connected real estate - and then complementing with value-added services for businesses and residents," said Sheikh Ibrahim M. Alissa, chairman of KEC. "Teaming up with Cisco will help us provide the Knowledge Economic City with a world-class infrastructure that will help businesses reduce capital and operating expenses by being able to have more visibility across their locations and operations."