Schneider Electric announced its support to the second edition of the Modern Makkah Summit and Awards as Platinum Sponsors to reaffirm its commitment to the development and modernisation of Makkah province.
To be held at the Hilton Jeddah, the event will gather government officials from the Saudi city as well as project developers, construction companies, architects and contractors looking to capitalise on the province's huge bank of opportunities.
Focus on Makkah
The event will focus on the city of Makkah and the challenge of integrating a smart city design into the heritage site. Panel discussions on planning, designing and implementing advanced infrastructure to facilitate traffic flow and service pilgrims of the Holy City of Makkah as well as expansion plans for the Grand Mosque will headline the summit.
SmartCity solutions
Christophe Campagne, Country President, Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia, said: "Our innovative SmartCity offering combines a host of applications that can help realise ambitious plans through facilitating energy savings of up to 30 per cent. Solutions for SmartCity include 'Smart Grid' for managing demand in electricity, 'Smart Water' for managing water hazards and growing water demand and 'Smart Building and Homes', for optimizing resource consumption and comfort through green buildings for hospitals as well as residential and commercial centres."
Impact of urbanization
With urbanization increasing rapidly, it is estimated that cities consume 75 per cent of the global Energy. By 2050, they will accommodate 70 per cent of the world's population, up from the current 50 per cent. Therefore, government and municipalities are looking for solutions that ensure efficiency, sustainability and affordability.
Additional discussions
Participants at the Modern Makkah Summit and Awards will additionally discuss the adoption of sustainable practices for the expansion projects in Jeddah including the protection of urban infrastructure and prevention of future damage through upgrades of road and utilities networks. Experts will also examine aspects of sanitation and waste management solutions, as well as innovative water disposal systems to meet the need of the city's growing population.
