Hafr Al-Batin Municipality Discusses Smart City Readiness with IMD Delegation and Eastern Province Development Authority

A delegation from the Swiss IMD Institute and the Eastern Province Development Authority visited Hafr Al-Batin Governorate this week as part of a field study to assess the city and explore the possibility of including it in the IMD Smart City Index, in cooperation with the Eastern Province Development Authority and several relevant government entities.

On the first day of the visit, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdullah bin Faisal, Governor of Hafr Al-Batin, received the delegation at his office, welcoming them to the governorate and emphasizing the commitment of all entities to supporting development efforts and smart transformation in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The visit’s activities began at Hafr Al-Batin Municipality, where a meeting was held in the presence of the Deputy Mayor for Services and several directors of relevant departments. The meeting reviewed key development and service efforts, quality-of-life projects, and digital transformation initiatives taking place across the governorate.

On the second day, the delegation conducted field visits to several government entities and municipal and service sectors, including the University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafr Al-Batin Health Cluster, Hafr Al-Batin Chamber, Al-Batin Club, Hima Environmental Society, and the Livestock Association. The visits aimed to explore service capabilities and the level of integration between entities in supporting urban development. The delegation also attended the “Hala Bilwasm” event organized by the Municipality, gaining insight into community engagement and local participation.

On the third and final day, the delegation visited Tarawf Association for Orphan Care and reviewed several social initiatives and community activities in the governorate. They also explored major ongoing projects contributing to infrastructure development and quality of life enhancement, concluding the tour with a visit to the “Kala Water Park” project, one of the modern recreational investment projects in the governorate.

At the conclusion of the visit, the IMD delegation expressed its appreciation to His Royal Highness the Governor of Hafr Al-Batin for the warm reception and hospitality, as well as to Hafr Al-Batin Municipality, the Eastern Province Development Authority, and participating entities for their cooperation and support in facilitating the study. The delegation confirmed that Hafr Al-Batin possesses urban and development capabilities that qualify it to compete among cities included in the global IMD Smart City Index.