Riyadh: The King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC), Riyadh’s premier business and lifestyle destination, and Samsung Electronics today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore areas for collaboration on the development and implementation of integrated smart city technologies in KAFD. The strategic partnership will further enhance the digital experience for the district’s businesses, tenants, and visitors and build on KAFD’s status as a conduit for collaboration and innovation between Saudi Arabia and Asia.

The MoU demonstrates KAFD’s commitment to strategically investing in and adopting cutting-edge technologies, reimagining urban infrastructure and living through digital enablement. As a global technology leader, Samsung’s track record of ground-breaking product development, supports KAFD’s vision of leveraging smart city technologies to make urban districts more efficient, sustainable, and human-centric for its inhabitants, in line with Vision 2030.

The collaboration lays the foundation of the advancement of KAFD’s smart city infrastructure by exploring potential integration of enterprise-grade solutions, including access control, digital signage, and other smart and centralized systems, supporting real-time infrastructure and asset monitoring and management. A potential new Samsung experience center in the district will further enrich the community, offering residents exclusive benefits and discounts.

Sultan Alshahrani, Chief Corporate Officer at KAFD DMC, said: “KAFD is forging ahead with investments in transformative urban and smart-city infrastructure, cultivating an environment where businesses, residents, and visitors can thrive in a seamlessly integrated, intelligent urban district. Our partnership with Samsung will unlock a new wave of enhancements and innovations, enhancing experiences and quality of life in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The partnership adds to KAFD’s growing list of collaborations with leading Asian companies, underscoring KAFD’s prominent role as an accelerator for economic cooperation.”

From his side, Mr. Hendrik Lee, President of Samsung Electronics Saudi Arabia, commented: “Samsung Electronics has always been at the forefront of driving innovation and fostering connected communities. This fruitful collaboration with KAFD represents a key step and a new milestone in our strategy that aims at supporting Saudi Arabia’s vision and its transformation into a global hub for innovation. We are proud to embark on this partnership, through which we can together, integrate Samsung’s smart solutions and technologies to build strong digital infrastructure and deliver enhanced digital experience across the kingdom”.

KAFD is the first neighborhood in MENA to achieve WiredScore’s Global Smart Neighborhood Certification and is the first district to launch a Smart WiFi-7 service in Saudi Arabia, as part of a long-term strategic agreement with leading Chinese technology provider, Huawei. KAFD also has smart-city platform pilot programs underway with the Chinese artificial intelligence company, SenseTime.

About KAFD

Situated in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, KAFD is an iconic destination that merges the worlds of business and lifestyle in a digitally integrated and sustainable ecosystem, transforming the way contemporary communities live, work, and play. The destination is owned and managed by King Abdullah Financial

District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC), which was established in 2018 and is a PIF Company.

With a vision to build a dynamic city of tomorrow, the Kingdom’s first vertical city solution, spanning 1.6 million square meters with 95 buildings designed by 25 world-leading architectural firms, has not only shaped the skyline of Riyadh but also transformed the city's economic landscape and redefined the essence of urban living. It is the world’s largest LEED platinum-certified business and lifestyle district, epitomizing Saudi Arabia’s vision for economic diversification, quality of life, and sustainable development.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience.