- Orange Business to design, build and run new end-to-end platform, integrating AI and data analytics into existing KAFD digital infrastructure
- Smart City Platform will enable KAFD to optimize data and advance its smart city experience using new technologies
Orange Business, the enterprise division of Orange, has signed a deal with the King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Company (KAFD DMC) to design, build and run a Smart City Platform that will integrate and connect existing digital technologies at Saudi Arabia’s prime business district, KAFD, while leveraging the power of AI and data analytics. Orange Business will also provide a range of Digital Master Systems Integration services and orchestrate its partner ecosystem by working alongside company experts on systems integration and new use cases.
The agreement was signed today at a ceremony hosted at KAFD in conjunction with a panel discussion titled ‘Secure, Smart, and Sustainable: The Future of Smart Cities,’ and which was attended by guests including tenants and media representatives.
Considered as one of the world’s most sustainable business districts, KAFD aims to create a high-quality urban environment and lifestyle for businesses, residents, and visitors in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s Quality of Life Program and its objectives of enhancing the livability and competitiveness of the Kingdom’s cities.
Under the new agreement, Orange Business will provide a range of services to KAFD, including the industry-leading Orange Smart City Platform. It is compatible with a wide range of systems and technologies and covers big data, data management, descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics, and governance. AI-related use cases will include geolocation-based sentiment analysis of social media, analyzing, collating, and sharing contextual data in areas ranging from water supply to traffic situation awareness, and energy optimization across commercial office buildings. By integrating a digital twin with the Smart City Platform, architects and engineers will be able to analyze real-time data to optimize building design.
Commenting on the agreement, Gautam Sashittal, CEO of King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC) said: “The increasing wave of urbanization across the world is set to uncover a US $517 billion market for smart city solutions with an annual growth rate of 25%, a fact that plays into KAFD’s objectives of building a future-proof and business-friendly hub in Riyadh. A major step in that direction, our partnership with Orange Business will further strengthen our drive to become a global pioneer in smart urban development.”
Sahem Azzam, Senior Vice President Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, Orange Business, said, "Orange Business is delighted to be a part of this flagship project and serve as a trusted digital partner. The commissioning of the Smart City Platform is a clear signal of our commitment to elevate the already world-class district to the next level of smart city evolution – what we call the cognitive city. This is driven by the collection of data and leveraging AI and data analytics to provide deeper user insights as a basis for new use cases, revenue streams, and innovative services for the city's population. It will also optimize city operations – making them better, faster, and safer.”
Azzam added: “With our specialized teams on site to offer their unparalleled expertise from a regional cluster headquarters in the Kingdom, we believe our collaboration with KAFD will showcase innovative urban digital design and make a key contribution to the Saudi Vision 2030 economic diversification and transformation plan."
Orange Business has been involved in large-scale, complex smart city projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for more than 10 years. It is currently engaged in some of the region's most significant and iconic developments spanning Egypt and the Arabian Gulf states, and through the SMART Africa initiative to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development across the continent.
About Orange Business
Orange Business, the enterprise division of Orange, is a leading network and digital integrator, supporting customers to create positive impact and digital business. The combined strength of its next-generation connectivity, cloud, and cybersecurity expertise, platforms, and partners provides the foundation for enterprises around the world. With 30,000 employees across 65 countries, Orange Business enables its customers’ transformations by orchestrating end-to-end secured digital infrastructure and focusing on the employee, customer, and operational experience. More than 3,000 multinational enterprises, as well as two million professionals, companies and local communities in France, put their trust in Orange Business.
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 43.5 billion euros in 2022 and 291 million customers worldwide at 30 June 2023. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan "Lead the Future", built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. "Lead the Future" capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange's leadership in service quality.
Orange is listed on the Euronext Paris (ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (ORAN).
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About KAFD
Situated in Riyadh, KAFD is an iconic business and lifestyle destination with state-of-the-art physical and digital infrastructure. The destination is owned and managed by King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC), which was established in 2018 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. KAFD’s 95 buildings, designed by 25 world-leading architectural firms, have reshaped the skyline of Riyadh. The vibrant mixed-use district offers a range of experiences across its area of 1.6 million square meters and is the largest development globally to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest accreditation from the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), which recognizes KAFD as a global leader in sustainability.
For further details about KAFD, please visit
www.kafd.sa