UAE to Assist Albania Implement Smart City Project

The UAE will assist Albania in implementing the soon-to-be launched Smart City project and an agreement was signed between the two countries during the visit of the UAE President H H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday.

The UAE President and Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama witnessed the exchange of the agreement between Presight AI and the Albanian Ministry of Interior for the Albania Smart City Project, which is aimed at improving infrastructure and public facilities.

The other dignitaries who were present included Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Belinda Balluku, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, and Ervin Hoxha, Albania’s Interior Minister.

The Smart Cities/Smart Villages is an energy-efficient and green investment programme based on integrated strategies and efficient use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to enhance the basic infrastructure in the areas of transport, energy, public lighting and environment.

Three Albanian municipalities – Durres, Vlora and Korca – located in the centre and south of the country have been selected to serve as pilot projects. The overall objective is to promote these municipalities that will provide core infrastructure services with the help of the application of smart solutions thus improving the quality of life and preserving a clean and sustainable environment.

The project will aim at increasing public safety in the country and preventing traffic accidents on the main national roads. It will be extended to the country’s 20 main cities and tourist areas with the most visitors.

Enhancing Security

At an event held recently, Albania’s Minister of Interior, together with high-ranking members of the State Police, attended a presentation of the final “Smart City” project by representatives of the UAE at the Ministry of Interior.

This project, aims to increase security in our communities, protect lives and private property, monitor traffic, etc. through a comprehensive system of technological solutions.

The project envisages the use of security cameras, cameras for automatic reading of vehicle number plates, linked to each other, which will allow real-time monitoring and identification of vehicles travelling on road axes of priority interest to the police, as well as at border points.

H H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Edi Rama also witnessed the exchange of a framework between Masdar, TAQA Transmission, Korporata Elektroenergjitike Shqiptare (KESH) – Albania Power Corporation, and Operatori i Sistemit të Transmetimit (OST).

The framework will review the progress of their collaboration on the assessment and implementation of the initiatives of the tripartite strategic partnership framework related to renewable energy and energy infrastructure signed by the UAE, Albania, and Italy last month.

This framework also aims to enhance cooperation in developing renewable energy projects, thereby improving energy security, promoting sustainable development, and accelerating the transition to clean energy in the Mediterranean region.