Digitalization and Smartification of Urban Services to Enhance Urban Resilience in the Post-Pandemic Era: The Case of the Pilgrimage City of Makkah

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted human socioeconomic activities, leaving an everlasting impact on urban systems. As a result, there is a growing scholarly focus on exploring how urban planning strategies and tools can help create resilient cities. In Saudi Arabia, the pilgrimage cit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Smart cities (Basel) 2023-08, Vol.6 (4), p.1973-1995
Main Authors: Aina, Yusuf A., Abubakar, Ismaila Rimi, Almulhim, Abdulaziz I., Dano, Umar Lawal, Maghsoodi Tilaki, Mohammad Javad, Dawood, Sharifah R. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collaboration
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Developing countries
Digital technology
digitalization
Digitization
Disease control
Disease transmission
Epidemics
Infections
LDCs
mass gathering events
Mosques & temples
Pandemics
pilgrimage
Pilgrimages
Pilgrims
post-pandemic resilience
Quarantine
Resilience
Service restoration
Smart cities
smart city
Social distancing
Urban planning
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted human socioeconomic activities, leaving an everlasting impact on urban systems. As a result, there is a growing scholarly focus on exploring how urban planning strategies and tools can help create resilient cities. In Saudi Arabia, the pilgrimage city of Makkah, which has always faced the challenge of managing crowds during the annual pilgrimage, was left deserted due to lockdowns and social distancing measures. To quickly revive socioeconomic and pilgrimage activities in the city, a set of digital tools and communication technologies were deployed to manage crowds and enforce social distancing to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This study examines the role of digitalization and smartification in reviving the city and the importance of context in building urban resilience. This study used desktop research and case study analysis to highlight the transformation to the new normal and the development of future smart technologies for the city. Smart solutions provided valuable support in reducing the impacts of the pandemic and restarting Makkah’s economy. Although most activities have been restored, some facilities and services are still operating below capacity. Digitalization and smartification of urban services could play a major role in improving service delivery and urban resilience.
ISSN:2624-6511
2624-6511
DOI:10.3390/smartcities6040092