Nadia Al-Dabbas - Kuwait
Badr Al-Shehtawy dreams of owning a house after marriage, but it is not like any home. His technique is to create a smart home that catches up with the technological development that is rapidly invading the world with its smart homes and cities, as any of us can control the tools without the need to be in a specific place to deal with a specific device.To achieve his dream, Badr joined the Electrical Engineering Department at the Industrial Institute after graduating from high school. He is taught by his teacher, Eng. Faisal Al-Sarraf, on how to program household appliances, connect them together, and then control them through a cell phone. Through this technology, lighting can be turned on. Or the air conditioner, not to mention kitchen appliances and other electrical appliances.
Engineer Al-Sarraf explains - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that the institute has established a program in cooperation with the global "KNX" organization specialized in the field of smart systems, which brings together major international companies specialized under its umbrella, such as Siemens and "ABB".
According to Al-Sarraf, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training and the institute's management were keen to equip workshops and laboratories with the latest devices and equipment to train students on smart building systems.
The director of the institute, Muhammad Bu Hamdi, explains to Al-Jazeera Net the smart electrical installations diploma system that the duration of his study is two and a half years, during which the student undergoes field training in the government or private sector, and the first training year is based on the study of traditional electrical installations such as schemes for distribution panels, lighting and electrical loads, While in the second year, the trainee studies the applications of smart electrical wiring in buildings, theoretically and practically.
In Kuwait, work is underway to establish new cities that parties in the government say will bear the specifications of smart cities, including the city of Al-Mutlaa, which contains smart homes, and the city of Silk, in addition to the individual attempts in which Kuwaiti citizens convert their homes into smart ones.
Buhamdi confirms that many companies and factories in Kuwait offer, in line with these transformations, that the Institute should cooperate to benefit from its expertise in developing their companies and factories and converting them into smart ones and using the technologies it provides, especially in the electricity and water sectors, to save on them, especially after the decision issued before About a year and a half ago, by increasing electricity tariffs for the commercial and industrial sectors.
As for citizens - according to Bu Hamdi - their interest in this system is still low due to the cheap price of the electric tariff in their homes.
Within what is known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the world is turning towards the "Internet of Things", which represents the future of modern technology, which specialists assert will improve the way societies live and improve their efficiency.
This technology relies on linking sensors and mechanisms in various electronic devices through a wired or wireless network, which gives electronic devices a bit of digital intelligence, and makes them operate with minimal direct human intervention.
In order to keep up with these developments, the first Gulf conference and exhibition for the "Internet of Things" convened in Kuwait, with the presence of many local and Gulf authorities.
According to those in charge of the conference and exhibition, a report issued by the "Gartner" research institution confirmed that the number of devices that will be connected to each other will reach 20.4 billion devices by next year, after the number was only 8.4 billion devices in 2017.
Although the steps of the Gulf countries in particular and the Middle East region in general seem very slow towards the "Internet of Things", the conference provided an opportunity to exchange and learn about experiences in this field, as it highlighted the importance of raising awareness of these technologies that will shape the future, and the implications they entail. Both positive and negative dimensions.
For her part, Dr. Safaa Zaman, a professor at the College of Computer Science and Engineering at Kuwait University and head of the scientific committee at the conference, confirmed that such conferences and exhibitions affect the street and governments. Before engaging in smart government, he should be well aware of the optimal use of the areas and technologies of the Internet of Things to understand the dimensions of this technology and realize its benefits and avoid its harms.
Zaman explained - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that smart homes rely on devices that are programmed to carry out - by themselves - a number of functions assigned to humans through the sensors they contain. When a person enters his home, the lights and air conditioner turn on.
She adds that this also applies to smart cities in which traffic lights, parking lots and advertisements are used, and major commercial complexes are also using "Internet of Things" technologies in parking lots and water systems.
Pros and cons The Internet of Things has pros and cons, and its most prominent advantages - according to time - are represented in speed, transparency, achieving social justice and sustainable development as well as a sustainable environment. The application of smart cities is very effective in environmental aspects, as there are smart systems to open lights and water for agriculture after measuring the humidity level Soil, which stops waste and saves energy in all its forms, which benefits the country's economy and preserves its property.
With regard to social justice, it is achieved through the smart government through which the citizen and the resident alike can review information electronically, which reduces favoritism to a large extent.
As for the negatives - and Dr. Zaman's words - they lie in the need for devices programmed to work within these technologies to be constantly updated, which requires a long time.
Also, there is another negative, which is the possibility of penetration of these systems if they are not sufficiently secured, and this aspect is one of the concerns and obstacles facing modern technology in general, and in particular the "Internet of Things", with what this entails exposing personal privacy to violation.
Zaman concludes that malicious programs have led to millions of losses for many countries, and have resulted in stopping smart systems, which necessitates Kuwait and the Gulf states to establish a strong infrastructure in the field of cybersecurity (computer) before building smart cities.