If there’s one thing the last decade has taught us, it’s that the future rarely unfolds in a straight line. Technology changes, regulations shift, and yesterday’s cutting-edge platform becomes today’s legacy system.
For those of us involved in shaping the foundations of the cities of tomorrow, there’s a truth that can’t be ignored — if your systems can’t talk to each other, your smart city might not be so smart after all.
Read: Dubai, Abu Dhabi achieve top rankings in 2025 smart city index
Middle East leads the way in smart cities
The Middle East is leading the charge in global urban innovation. From NEOM to Dubai’s Digital Twin strategy, cities are being built with ambition and imagination. In fact, two GCC cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, have both achieved places in the top five Smart City Index from IMD.
But here’s the catch — the more complex our infrastructure becomes, the more important it is to ensure that everything can work together. Not just today, but in five, ten, even twenty years from now. That’s where interoperability comes in.
Now, I appreciate that ‘interoperability’ isn’t the most exciting word in the boardroom, and it’s unlikely to win you applause at the next investor meeting. But without it, your new AI-enabled, cloud-connected, big data city may just be collection of gadgets all struggling to get along with each other.
Complexity is inevitable. Chaos is optional
Let’s look at the numbers — according to IDC, smart city tech spending in the Middle East will surpass $2.7 billion this year. We’re talking about thousands of connected devices across transport, energy, public safety, and of course, security. Most of these are developed by different manufacturers, each with their own proprietary software and integrations.
This creates a tangled web of silos and inefficiencies which, when you try to scale, you discover that nothing really fits together. It’s like trying to build a LEGO city using pieces from five different brands that all swear they’re “technically compatible”.
This is not just a headache for your IT department; it’s a strategic risk.
The hidden infrastructure that unlocks innovation
Over the next few years, AI processing will increasingly happen closer to where the data is collected, while cloud-based systems will manage more complex operations across multiple sites.
Gartner predicts that by 2027, one-fifth of large organizations will be managing their distributed edge infrastructure — coordinating devices, data flows, and policies — across multiple locations. That’s not a trend. That’s a fundamental change in how infrastructure operates.
To make that work, your systems need to speak the same language. That’s what interoperability enables. Not just device-to-device communication, but system-to-system coordination that allows your data, your insights, and your intelligence to move freely and securely across your entire operation.
Think like a strategist, not a spec sheet
So what does this mean for CEOs? It means you need to get involved earlier in the conversation. Interoperability isn’t just an IT decision or a procurement checkbox, it’s a strategic enabler that gives you flexibility in your vendor choices, scalability in your infrastructure, and future-readiness in your technology investments.
Most importantly, it helps you avoid lock-in — and let’s be honest, no one wants to find out that the entire smart camera or door access system for their flagship development can only be updated by one vendor, using one software, on one very specific operating system that has never been updated.
Leading smart cities means planning smarter
The GCC has the vision and resources to lead the world in smart, connected living. But vision alone isn’t enough, we need to build infrastructure that can evolve, integrate, and interoperate — not just look impressive on launch day.
That means putting open standards at the heart of strategy and demanding conformancy from every partner in the value chain. Because, ultimately, smart cities aren’t defined by how much tech they have, but by how well that tech works together. And the CEOs who understand that will be the ones building the cities we’ll still be talking about in 2050.
Leo Levit is the chairman of ONVIF.
