ROK to collaborate with Qatar on smart cities

Doha, The Gulf Observer: ROK has pledged support to Qatar’s commitment to a more sustainable future, smart cities and development of a greener economy.

Addressing a press conference in Doha on Thursday, South Korea’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, H E Won Hee-ryong said both Korea and Qatar face the same challenge in reshaping industries and policies to decarbonise their economies in light of the climate change.

“The Qatar National Vision 2030 and Korea’s strategies for energy transition, inclusion of solar, wind, and hydrogen power into its energy mix, and industrial diversification are key examples of the efforts we are making in response to the challenge.”

The Minister stated that proposing collaboration on the development of “green mobility” is one way that Korea may help to diversify the economy of this nation.

The Korean government is now working to transform and innovate its transport sector in order to lessen its reliance on oil and gas. It supports the development of green, alternative-energy vehicles in order to fulfill this policy goal. Additionally, it is targeting commercial launches of fully autonomous vehicles by 2027 and urban air mobility (UAM) operations by 2025.

Qatar is a no stranger to this development. It can be recalled that Mowasalat introduced electric buses last year which were also used during the World Cup.

Additionally, the world’s largest electric bus depot, the Lusail Bus Depot, which has a capacity of 478 vehicles, was inaugurated in October 2022.

Starting in 2022, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, also known as Kahramaa, has installed several EV charging stations in the country, and on January 14, it revealed plans to install EV charging units at all Woqod stations, a project that would be finished in two years.

One of South Korea’s initiatives on sustainable mass transit is the establishment of “K-City,” a test area for autonomous vehicles. In order to encourage research partnerships between the government, industry, and research groups, Won said that his government will also launch the Grand Challenge Korea this year.

Under the umbrella of green mobility, it funds research and development initiatives for hydrogen-powered vehicles, such as rail trains, buses, or logistical systems.