Smart Cities Ops and Apps October 2025 Newsletter

Proud to share the October 2025 Smart City Committee Newsletter from Fiber Connect Council MENA – a snapshot of how cities are turning connectivity into real impact.

Highlights

• 🚁 Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi × Archer Aviation:
  The UAE’s first hospital-based eVTOL vertiport, blending advanced air mobility with critical healthcare access.
• 🌍 Smart City Expo Doha + MWC25 Doha:
  Two global platforms co-located in November to push “Beyond Connectivity” and showcase Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030.
• 🤖 GCC Autonomous Mobility:
  Projections show a $19B FAV market by 2035, fueled by giga-projects, strong regulatory vision, and sovereign investment.
• 🏆 MENA Wins at the Seoul Smart City Prize:
  Recognition for Dubai, Sharjah, Alexandria, Rabat, and Aramco’s “City Brain” digital-twin initiative.
• 🚌🚆 Global Ticketing & Mobility Innovation:
  Spain launches its first regional account-based ticketing in Galicia;
  ABT expands on California’s ACE Rail;
  smart e-scooter parking pilots advance in Denver South.
• 🏙️ AI-Driven Urban Innovation:
  — The Ellinikon in Athens emerges as a European AI hub
  — DFW Airport advances an AI-native “intelligent airport” blueprint
• 🧵 Insights:
  Optical fiber remains the digital backbone enabling everything from automated transit to city-scale digital twins.