1
Return

Study on smart city in League of Arab States (LAS): status and trend in 2024

delete2026-04-10
delete0
PRE
AI
X
Xi Chen
J
Jiayu Hu
M
Mohamed Abouelhassan Ali *
N
Nurul Amillin Hussain
D
Dong Wang
X
Xufeng Zhu
M
Mohammad Hadi Radfar
A
Alexey Levashev
A
Ahmad Bin Touq *
DOI:10.1080/12265934.2026.2654677delete
deleteOriginal
deleteOriginal request for help
deleteShare
deleteSave
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
This study integrates qualitative evidence synthesis and quantitative, indicator-based scoring to analyzing smart city development, by applying a multi-infrastructure synergized framework to track digital, conventional, and institutional infrastructure in 80 cities throughout the League of Arab States (LAS) and Iran. The study utilizes openly accessible, aggregated data from official government papers, press reports, and scholarly sources (mainly from 2021 to 2024) to analyze and compare these cities, demonstrate how regional clusters function, and identify where disparities occur. The findings provide novel insights into how smart city development has progressed in this region. First, smart city clusters along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea have superior digital and institutional infrastructure, while the Mediterranean and Nile Delta Regions lag behind, due to lower levels of observed connectivity and cross-regional collaboration. Second, Iran, a country commonly excluded from smart city scholarship, presents a case study demonstrating significant strength in traditional infrastructure. Despite low levels of digital and institutional infrastructure development, this foundation has enabled substantial progress in its smart city transition. These findings provide significant academic and policy implications, offering actionable pathways for policymakers to accelerate regionally integrated development.
Keywords:
Iran
League of Arab States (LAS)
Multi-infrastructure synergy
regional integration
smart city clusters

Journal

I
International Journal of Urban Sciences
IF:
3
Papers:
463
Citations:
1.1K

Organization

I
irkutsk national research technical university
Scholars:
11
Papers: 9
Citations: 0
Z
zhejiang international studies university
Scholars:
177
Papers: 196
Citations: 3
T
tsinghua university
Scholars:
11.5W
Papers: 9.9W
Citations: 137
U
United Arab Emirates University
Scholars:
8.4K
Papers: 7.1K
Citations: 10.0K
Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University cover
Johns Hopkins University and Nanjing University
Scholars:
1
Papers: 1
Citations: 97
N
nanyang technological university
Scholars:
2.5K
Papers: 1.6K
Citations: 1
P
peking university
Scholars:
11.5W
Papers: 8.6W
Citations: 146
C
cairo university
Scholars:
410
Papers: 298
Citations: 0
U
university of birmingham
Scholars:
4.2K
Papers: 2.0K
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers