Building intelligent cities in our country is no longer a choice, but it will be a must and should be widely implemented in the near future, according to IT experts, developers and policymakers who gave their opinions and expertise during the wrap-up of the Intelligent Cities Exhibition and Conference (ICEC) on Tuesday, Invest-Gate reports.

The two-day event brought together a number of experts in the fields of both intelligent cities and real estate development in order to showcase the most recent solutions and technologies that are key pillars in making our cities more sustainable.

During the first panel titled “Energy Efficient Intelligent Buildings and connected Homes, ” LBU Manager for Building Automation Tamer Hamdy Shalaby said the Intelligent City is the place where we can optimize resources, decrease the emission of CO2, reuse treated water, and control the electricity grid.

According to Shalaby, applying the main concepts of intelligent cities must be put into consideration, especially in Egypt, where the construction rate is 20 times that of Dubai.

“The Egyptian government’s main goal is to depend on renewable energy by 20% by 2020,” he noted.

Baran Berksu, managing director of EOH Middle East, stated during the event that technology will be a key human demand like water, energy and electricity.

He added that developers should have a diversified plan, noting that intelligent cities are the key to achieve sustainable goals of saving resources such as water, energy and electricity.

Meanwhile, another panel titled “The Future of Transportation, Connected Cars, Parking Systems and Traffic Management” revealed the recent technological advancement that guarantee safe roads, safe driving, and smooth traffic flow.

According to Khaled Hazem, Microsoft MEA’s industry solution director, there are four different technologies to build a new generation: cloud computing, mobility, social media, and data analytics.

Meanwhile, the CEO of ARDIC for Real Estate Development, Ashraf Dowidar, said the industrial zones are also in a dire need to “turn intelligent.”

The investors, whether they are foreigners or locals, usually seek the industrial zones that are perfectly utilized and would help them operate in a friendly business environment, Dowidar explained.

Many developers, according to Dowidar, seek industrial areas in order to diversify their business and have a profitable return. “That is why the government must put a clear vision to build integrated smart industrial zones,” he added.