Jeddah municipality with the collaboration of Computing and Information Technology department at King Abdulaziz University launched “Challenge Jeddah” contest on Tuesday.

Jeddah municipality has launched a contest themed “Toward a smart city.”

Collaborating with the municipality in organizing the contest is the Computing and IT department of King Abdul Aziz University.

A.D. Arwa Al-Amaee, assistant secretary at the department, said the contest was launched as a contribution toward smart city efforts across the Kingdom.

She explained that the competition is part of the initiatives of the municipality in supporting the transformation strategy for smart cities.

This could be done through application of the latest technology such as smart communication, smart/connected people, smart governance, smart security, smart environment, and smart living, Al-Amaee said.

This will provide an opportunity for citizens and residents of the Kingdom to enjoy the upgraded level of services in their city and keep pace with modern technology changes that play a major role in improving the services that are provided to individuals and enterprises, she added.

Al-Amaee said the contest is a national initiative from the government sector that indicates the desire for developed services and improvement in the lives of people by involving them in the brainstorming and provide solutions to the problems they are facing at the moment.

The objectives of the competition include motivating and engaging talented citizens and residents in the development of the smart city applications that will serve the aspirations of smart cities, she said.

The participation in the contest is possible by enrolling on website www.jeddah.gov.sa/JeddahChallenge and uploading a visual presentation of the application and the idea which the applicant wants to share.

Iyad Katib, director of the university’s faculty of Computing and IT department, said the university administration responded positively to participate in this initiative as a scientific partner and as part of its social responsibility and contribute in the development process of the Kingdom.

The Computing and IT committee of the faculty will go through all applications submitted by the applicants, nominate the Top 10 applications for the finals and choose the best application depending on the evaluation of the jury based on the quality, effectiveness and creativity of the work.

Related articles across the web

• Nanowire quantum dot solar cells: oxide layer boosts performance
• Were high winds really to blame for the deadly crane accident in Mecca?
• Snoring in women: Causes and cures
• Who is Huma Abedin?
• Who is Huma Abedin?
• Huma Abedin: The Security Breach Hillary Is Still Hiding
• Horrigan: Hounded by the alma mater, hosed by the 1 percent
• Addressable molecular machines arranged in a porous crystal
• UW and Shanghai Jiao Tong University forge international collaboration on smart cities
• The 'smart' way Barcelona is cutting costs and improving quality of life