Honeywell and King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help create a sustainable smart city experience at the prime business and lifestyle destination in Saudi Arabia. The strategic MoU between Honeywell and KAFD supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives related to smart city development and advances technology adoption to create energy-efficient, intelligent buildings.

Honeywell’s ready-now solutions will help optimize operational efficiencies and support KAFD on its smart city strategy focused on sustainability targets through the deployment of energy-saving initiatives across its assets and facilities. Honeywell will provide direct technical support and act as a trusted and long-term technology advisor to KAFD, utilizing smart solutions to optimize the experience of tenants, visitors, businesses and city operations.

KAFD is a business and lifestyle destination at the heart of the Kingdom’s capital. It is set to play a major role in the growth and diversification of the economy, as well as contributing to establishing first-class leisure, retail, and hospitality facilities to support a vibrant society.

“As Saudi Arabia sets new benchmarks in smart city development, we are honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate on this ground-breaking project, implementing our advanced solutions to enhance the sustainable city experience,” said Abdulla Al-juffali, country president, Honeywell - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. “This MoU furthers Honeywell’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s sustainability goals, building on our 70-year history in Saudi Arabia, with intelligent buildings deployed for the benefit of stakeholders. Honeywell is once again deploying smart city technology in the region, supporting complex technical requirements, and enabling a sustainable, world-class and integrated mixed-use destination.” 

As one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious projects, KAFD’s smart city strategy will use smart city technologies to transform operations and customer experience. The collaboration with Honeywell will help enable a successful implementation of KAFD’s road map with the nomination of joint steering committee members to oversee the different ongoing projects and engagements.

“Globally, cities account for up to 80% of the energy consumed while generating approximately 70% of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. At KAFD, the Kingdom’s first vertical city, we are mindful of our role in addressing global challenges including climate change. We are committed to creating a sustainable living and working experience for all our residents, tenants and visitors while also ensuring our technology adaptation contributes to sustainable development and improved quality of life. Honeywell’s advanced, industry-leading solutions that optimize energy savings are closely aligned to KAFD’s objectives,” explained Gautam Sashittal, KAFD CEO.