Page 7 - U4SSC Factsheet, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 2020

Executive Summary

The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) has developed a set of international key performance
indicators (KPIs) for Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC) to establish the criteria to evaluate information and
communication technologies’ contributions in making cities smarter and more sustainable, and to
provide cities with the means for self-assessments in order to achieve the sustainable development
goals (SDGs). In 2019, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, piloted these U4SSC KPIs. This Factsheet documents the
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findings of Riyadh’s project:

• It starts by introducing the U4SSC initiative within the context of digitalization and the importance
of the standardization of data in fostering smart sustainable city transitions.

• The subsequent sections describe the various smart sustainable city activities adopted by Riyadh,
with notable KPIs from the three U4SSC dimensions (Economy, Environment, and Society and
Culture) providing a clear picture of Riyadh’s efforts in each of these areas.
• The Factsheet also outlines current projects underway, as well as planned future smart, sustainable
development projects.
• Since one of the aims of the project was to improve the feasibility and applicability of the KPIs to
all cities, Riyadh provided inputs on the existing KPI definitions, along with practical solutions to
improve the data collection process. The key findings from this will contribute to the development
of the very first ‘U4SSC Smart Sustainable Cities Index’.

The results from Riyadh’s collection and reporting of data in accordance with the KPIs and the verification
process undertaken are summarized in the following table. Key findings taken from across the different
areas are highlighted underneath.

Total Reported Verified % KPIs Verified

Economy
Core KPIs 23 22 22 96%
Advanced KPIs 22 11 11 50%
Environment

Core KPIs 12 12 12 100%
Advanced KPIs 5 4 4 80%
Society & Culture
Core KPIs 19 19 19 100%
Advanced KPIs 10 7 7 70%
Overall
Core KPIs 54 53 53 98%
Advanced KPIs 37 22 22 59%
Total 91 75 75 82%

U4SSC Factsheet | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | June 2020 1