It is difficult to ignore the irony of the World Economic Forum’s launch of a new global "smart cities" initiative in Davos.
A wealthy village with 10,000 people, Davos is the polar opposite of the typical cities of the future, which will be dense, crowded and young. While urbanisation is a global trend — over two-thirds of the world population will live in cities by 2050 — the vast majority of growth is taking place in the Global South. The ten fastest-growing cities are all located in emerging markets.
Rapid urbanisation presents opportunities for countries across the Global South; large cities with concentrated human capital can boost productivity, attract foreign investment and spur innovation. Yet the combination of breakneck urbanisation and poor infrastructure, such as shoddy road conditions and congestion, could threaten the future prosperity of cities.
To counter the challenges of urban growth, cities in the US and Europe are resorting to “smart” technologies, such as AI and IoT-enabled sensors. But these solutions are not easily adaptable to the realities of cities in emerging markets.
Take high tech traffic management systems installed in cities in the US and Europe; they rely on connected networks of mounted visual and thermal cameras, thousands of electronic sensors and satellite imagery to identify and alleviate irregular traffic flows. In cities struggling to install even basic traffic lights and where traffic laws, if they exist at all, are rarely enforced, these solutions are at best impractical, if not impossible.
Cities in emerging markets do not need to become “smart” cities, relying on the latest state-of-the-art technologies. Rather, they must become resilient cities and be built on three pillars of frugality, flexibility and inclusiveness. Over the last five years, the spread of app-based mobility solutions has shown what is possible in advancing city resilience.
Mobility companies have taken off in emerging markets because they offer an affordable solution to transport. They depend on apps, a low-tech solution, and provide sharing options in order to slash prices. Over the last decade, as the prices of handsets decrease, smartphone penetration has surged in emerging markets. Mobility apps have piggybacked on the growing number of smartphone users, which has risen to 47 per cent, up from 37 per cent the previous year.
Because mobility apps are on-demand, they allow users to match supply with demand instantaneously, leading to reduced fares for commuters. This is important in emerging markets where taxis remain unaffordable for the majority of commuters, and where customers are price point sensitive. Local mobility apps are big on ride-sharing, which allows for even lower prices. For example, minibus ride-sharing apps connect riders travelling in the same direction while motorcycle sharing apps such as Indonesia’s Go-jek charges affordable rates as motorcycles can zip through bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Flexibility is also central to the success of mobility companies. Mobility apps must have a decentralised nature in order to respond to the needs of commuters. Cities in emerging markets lack centralised urban planning and infrastructure, leading to fragmented transportation markets. In a sprawling city like Lagos (population 20 million), commuters must often switch modes of transport 4 to 5 times. There is no “typical” pattern of transportation across cities in emerging markets; usage of cars, public transport, and non-motorised transportation varies widely, and patching together a trip using boats, tuk tuks and other unique forms of local transportation is common. Intermodal transport, which combines different transport modes to reduce transit times, will only become more common as megacities (defined as having populations of more than 10 million) spread out, particularly as they are prone to sprawl. Innovative mobility apps that leverage multiple modes of transport will become increasingly important as these cities become more decentralised.
Lastly, mobility apps promote inclusiveness and are grounded in the communities that they serve. The employment opportunities that mobility companies offer for young job seekers moving to cities cannot be overlooked. In emerging markets, youth employment has remained stuck over 50 per cent for the past decade, twice as high as the rate in developed economies. These young adults are concentrated in cities, where youth unemployment tends to be higher than the national average. Apps such as Go-jek, Nigeria’s Max Now and Max Go, which allow motorcycle drivers to switch between offering customers rides and serving as a last mile delivery service, provide valuable, immediate employment opportunities to thousands of young adults.
Make no mistake, mobility apps are far from a cure-all. Efforts to build new infrastructure and formalise city landscapes always occur in parallel. But for the time being, emerging markets need technologies that fit their existing realities, not aspirational ones.
Mobility apps show a path forward. They illuminate how the world’s megacities, predominantly in the Global South, can become resilient to take on the challenges of rapid urbanisation. Resilient — not smart — technologies can help.
Mostafa Kandil is the co-founder/CEO of Swvl, an Egyptian mobility company connecting commuters with high-quality buses
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20mild%20hybrid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20S%20tronic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E265hp%20%2F%20195kW%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20370Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh260%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now