On March 5th, His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, inaugurated the seventh Bahrain Smart Cities Summit organised by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture in cooperation with Smart Way Consulting, under the theme "Smart Cities: The AI Frontier

The Deputy Prime Minister has affirmed that Bahrain has made advanced steps towards providing a digital infrastructure for its present and future cities, and a comprehensive development process regarding the shift towards smart and sustainable cities, focused on improving the quality-of-life standards.

The Deputy Prime Minister honoured the winners of the awards among public and private entities. 
The laureates included:

-      Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) won the award for innovative use Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things in Smart Cities for its smart electricity network project.

-     Information and e-Government Authority (iGA) won the "Advancements in Food Security and Agritech" award for its Botanical Atlas Project.

-     Diyar Al-Muharraq Company won the "Community Engagement and Inclusion" award for the Diyar Al Muharraq Project.

-     The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning clinched the "Smart Real Estate and Sustainable Building" award for the Salman City Project.

-     The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) won the "Renewable Energy and Sustainability Initiatives" for its solar energy project.

-     Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) won the "Excellence in ESG Implementation" Award for the private sector.  

-     The "Excellence in ESG Implementation" Award was also granted to Interior Ministry for its Excellence in Human Resources Management Project, and the Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry for its Towns and Villages Development project and platform.

Mr Mohammed Abdulla, Head of Estates & Support Services, RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, accepted the award on behalf of the university. Mr Abdulla played a major role in the planning and execution of the Solar Farm project of the university, and the university is grateful for his dedication and commitment, which ensured the success of this project.

Mr Stephen Harrison-Mirfield, Managing Director, RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, commented: "We extend our sincere thanks to the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture and Smart Way Consulting for this award. Our solar farm is a milestone in bolstering the university's sustainability, both in terms of environmental impact and return on investment. We have planned this project for many years, and the results have been outstanding. This recognition is a source of encouragement for us to continue our journey toward improved sustainability."

His Excellency Mr Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, emphasised the importance of Bahrain Smart Cities Summit, as a conference platform in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and transformation into smart cities. Such event provides an opportunity to benefit from international expertise and incorporate them in pioneering local  experiences, which will reflect positively on the urban development process.