Abu Dhabi 'smartest city' in Middle East: Study
Abu Dhabi, June 29 : Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has topped the list of "smart cities" in the Middle East and Africa, the city's Department of Culture and Tourism said on Friday.
Covering 50 international cities, a report by McKinsey Global Institute titled "Smart Cities: Digital Solutions for a More Livable Future" views how cities all over the world use technology to improve the quality of life, reports Xinhua.
With a rating of 18.4, Abu Dhabi ranked the first in the region ahead of Dubai, which was placed the second with a rating of 17.3.
Saif Saeed Ghobash, under-secretary of the department, said that in the digital age, metropolitan cities are delivering creative ways in which data is used to reinvent the way their city is perceived, explored, interacted with, and how services are delivered.
"With apps and online systems in place that support the tourism and business infrastructure of the emirate, we hope to lead the way to a sustainable future for generations to come," he said.
According to McKinsey, three factors make a city smart.
First is the technology base, which includes a critical mass of smartphones and sensors connected by high-speed communication networks.
The second consists of specific applications, such as translating raw data into alerts. The third is usage by cities, companies, and the public.
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Maharashtra polls: Rahul Gandhi's bag checked, Congress leader questions authorities
Amravati(PTI): Poll authorities on Saturday checked the bag of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Dhamangaon Railway in Maharashtra's Amravati district.
He was here to address a public rally for the November 20 assembly polls.
Gandhi's bag was checked after his helicopter landed at the helipad in Dhamangaon Railway, which is among the eight assembly seats in Amravati district.
Former state minister and Congress' Teosa MLA Yashomati Thakur, speaking to reporters, questioned the action of the poll authorities and asked why they were not checking bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah or Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The checking of bags of leaders, a practice of the poll authorities to enforce the model code of conduct, came to the fore in the state's election campaign after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray was subjected to it in Yavatmal.
Thackeray not only shot a video of the procedure but also chided the poll authorities on not checking bags of Modi, Shah, Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
However, videos that surfaced subsequently showed bags of Shah, Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar etc being checked by poll authorities.
