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Land minister discusses smart city cooperation with Saudi counterpart

Published: 20 Oct. 2025, 16:00

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk, right, and visiting Saudi Housing Minister Majed Al-Hogail shake hands during their talks in Seoul on Oct. 20. [YONHAP]

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk on Monday held talks with his counterpart from Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in urban development, smart cities and digital twin technologies, officials said.

The meeting was arranged at the request of Majed Al-Hogail, the visiting Saudi housing minister, who proposed strengthening cooperation in smart city initiatives currently being promoted by Seoul's land ministry.

During the meeting, Kim highlighted Korea's integrated smart city platform technology, which links the information systems of local governments, fire and police departments to enable a real-time response to emergencies such as fires and accidents.

He also expressed hope that Korean companies will actively participate in Saudi Arabia's large-scale urban development projects, including the $50 billion New Murabba redevelopment initiative in Riyadh.

Al-Hogail said he hopes to incorporate digital technologies into Saudi urban management through cooperation with Korea, stressing that Korean companies' smart city and digital twin technologies could play a key role in addressing urban challenges.

Yonhap