Professor Fu Zhiming, Vice Dean of School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
Editor's Note: Professor Fu Zhiming, Vice Dean of Peking University's School of Foreign Languages, participated as a guest in theThematic Forum on “Building Smart Cities in a Changing World”at the Global Digital Economy Conference held on the morning of July 6th, 2023. With great expertise in Arabic studies, Professor Fu brings deep insights into the Middle East's politics, economy, culture, and society. Surprisingly, he conducted an independent analysis of the rankings of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, and Riyadh in the 2023 Asia Smart City Ranking, and expanded it to expound the comprehensive and positive changes in the Arab world.
Professor Fu: I'm delighted to share with you some of my insights on the Middle East or certain Middle Eastern countries. Although I'm not a representative of the League of Arab States (LAS), I'm thrilled to see Arab cities on the list. We've mentioned cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, with which I'm sure many of you are familiar due to tourism or shopping experiences, especially in the bustling city of Dubai. However, there's one city that has been consistently mentioned, and that is Riyadh. It's neither a coastal city nor a city located in a Gulf region but an inland city. I would like to share three key observations on how Riyadh has made significant progress over the years.
Firstly, this city has become increasingly crowded. For instance, when I visited Riyadh ten years ago, it was unimaginable to experience such congestion. Men would drive their luxurious cars between their workplace and home, and the roads were wide. However, now the roads have become very congested. Is it because the city hasn't undergone development? Not at all, the city has developed rapidly. So, what's the reason? It's because more women have started driving, effectively doubling the city's population of drivers. As a result, the roads have become heavily congested, which actually indicates the city's progress and development.
Secondly, this city has become increasingly larger. If you visit Riyadh, there's one place you must go to, and it's called the "Kingdom Tower". It's the tallest building in the city, similar to the Shanghai World Financial Center where you can go up and enjoy the view. Ten years ago, when I visited Riyadh, there was another tower called the "Faisal Tower", a pointed tower. These two towers were iconic buildings of the city. Along with these two landmarks, there were two main roads that essentially followed the two towers. The city was very small, and it was easy to see its outskirts. However, when I visited Riyadh again in February this year, I couldn't see the Faisal Tower anymore after going up the "Kingdom Tower". The reason being, there is now a series of even taller iconic buildings surrounding it, obscuring the Faisal Tower. The continuous emergence of iconic buildings in a city is a significant sign of its development, and this city has expanded to the point where you can no longer see its boundaries. Previously, Riyadh was right beside the two main roads, but now the boundaries are no longer visible as the city has expanded immensely.
Thirdly, it's quite contradictory, but this city has become incredibly small. When you visit Riyadh, you must go to its old capital, Diriyah. Previously, it took around 40 minutes to drive from the city center to Diriyah, but now it only takes about 5 minutes because the city keeps expanding, and Diriyah is getting closer and closer to you. Around Diriyah, it is said that the Crown Prince plans to build six five-star hotels, transforming Diriyah into a significant cultural and educational hub and a center for traditional education.
After these three observations, it is clear that a city's continuous expansion and development require strengthening management practices. Traditional governance alone will lead to increasing congestion. How can we address this? Smart cities, digital economy, and digital development may be the most crucial aspects of urban development. As language and international studies researchers, we hope our students can go out to make explorations. When talking about Arab countries, people often think of deserts and head coverings. However, the reality is different in today's society and in Riyadh. Understanding a city through books alone is not enough. What we read in books may not reflect the true experience. Our students who have been to Riyadh have described it as completely different from what they knew and understood before. This is why Riyadh has emerged as an important symbol in the Asia Smart City rankings today. The city's development requires us to see it with our own eyes. That's why we invite renowned scholars like the former Egyptian Foreign Minister, my close friend, who have maintained a strong friendship even before he held that position. Professors Wang Dong and Zha Daojiong are also frequently invited to give lectures. From the perspective of international relations and research, including an understanding of smart cities, seeing and experiencing things firsthand can leave a deep impression on us.
I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Wang and his team for conducting the Smart City Rankings, as it provides us with valuable new data for research and observation. I believe that the development and construction of our cities go beyond traditional approaches, and we should focus more on digitization and future development. Thank you.
Q&A:
China-Africa Development Fund: Does the Arabic language work in North Africa have a leading role in African regionalization?
Professor Fu: Africa indeed has its own characteristics, with distinct differences between the Saharan and sub-Saharan regions, and I have friends from both areas. When it comes to regional cooperation and development, it becomes challenging to separate the Middle East and North Africa into different entities. Treating them as a single African region also poses difficulties. The question raised earlier is excellent. North Africa, culturally, leans more towards the Arab world, while some cities lean towards Europe, and others towards Asia. In our research, we need to account for these diversities and not solely rely on administrative divisions. It is essential to differentiate regions and their unique characteristics. Therefore, the study of North Africa may need to be separated from the sub-Saharan region. My belief is that when setting unified standards for smart city development, we should consider the distinct features and characteristics of different cities and regions. In fact, studying these distinctive features may be more important than striving for uniformity. Thank you.
Organized by Chang Ya’nan
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