Dubai, UAE, 28 February 2017:  The GCC is on course to rapidly evolve into one of the most sustainable and technologically advanced regions in the world due to smart technology, and given this trajectory, there is anxiety that people would become more overwhelmed with keeping up with technology and neglect their personal relationships. However, if used correctly, smart technology improves efficiency, reduces workload and supports respective national strategies to help build an emotional connection between family, friends and residents of the future cities of the GCC.

With UAE Vision 2021, Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 and Qatar National Vision 2030, and most recently Kuwait’s vision, most nations look forward to leveraging smart technology for economic and sustainable development while creating the cities of the future. For LG Electronics (LG), the future smart city stems from the future smart home. 

“Smart technology starts from the home and grows to a culture of connectedness. Smart technology in the home is user-centric and fosters self-expression, individuality, and personalization, and it helps in empowering individuals with more flexibility and time to have an emotional connection and richer experiences with loved ones. When residents see the impact of smart technology in creating the spirit of togetherness in the home, they become more eager and supportive of national initiatives that envision the world’s most smartest and connected cities,” said Mr. Yong Geun Choi, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE.

As a leader in consumer technology, LG understands the importance of smart technology in creating the future home and city, places that allow residents to not only enjoy richer experiences but also leverage the good in technology to foster a sense of togetherness within the home and certainly within the city. 

Starting from the home, technology should be used for empowering the family to spend more time together instead of wasting time to complete mundane tasks such as household chores. With smart appliances like the LG TWINWash washing machine, users can wash two loads at the same time and can remotely control the machine while spending quality time together outside the house. The increased efficiency of TWINWash also provides cleaner clothes in less time.

Thanks to LG’s OLED smart TVs and their intuitive webOS operating system, it’s now easier than ever to access streaming content. webOS places an entire library of streaming content at users’ fingertips, giving viewers the power to choose what they want to watch. Whether it’s a romantic movie with a loved one or a comedy with the family, webOS ensures that the user is always in full control. The wide viewing angles offered by OLED TVs provides the same breathtaking quality no matter where the viewer is seated. LG OLED TVs also boast immersive sound quality that completes the home theater experience.

The LG Hom-Bot is another example of smart technology in the home. It is a smart robotic vacuum cleaner that automatically runs a number of preset routines - in a fraction of the time, enabling families to bond over dinner. Capable of mapping location the Hom-Bot avoids all obstacles in its path. Hom-Bot even enables users to monitor their home from anywhere in the world. In addition to tracking cleaning progress, the Hom-Bot’s camera keeps an eye on pets and provides warning in the event of an intruder. This advanced robotic vacuum provides just one example of how the power of technology can be harnessed to make more time for loved ones without neglecting household responsibilities.

Smartphones are another example of how smart technology connects people and communities unlike ever before. When users see the personal benefit of such smart technology used to connect with loved ones, they become at ease with using smart technology to connect with their communities, cities and other IoT opportunities individuals can eventually leverage as part of living within a smart city.  

LG’s line-up of advanced smartphones places the full benefits of smart technology at the users’ fingertips, making it easy for them to use their phone in a variety of creative ways. On a personal level, the powerful camera capabilities of the LG V20 for example, enables users to capture special moments in astounding detail, and even edit content on the fly before posting it to social media. On a more community level, individuals can use their LG V20 to connect and engage with their smart city whether it is by using a smartphone app to rent a car within the hour, hire a bike to roam the city, or quickly order organic, home-grown groceries to the home so that a family effortlessly enjoy a healthy home-cooked meal. 

The dawn of smart technology starts with the individual and the home, working its way to a great change in culture to create communities that are willing to adopt and support region’s efforts in having the world’s smartest cities. 

Smart technology is the future, and governments in the GCC have realised its true potential from an economic, societal and cultural perspective. As more people adopt smart technologies into their daily lives as part of their individual efforts to stay connected, they become part of a more connected community, a more connected city, a more connected country, and a more connected region as a whole. 

So, there is a way for smart technology to build a region of togetherness. But it all starts from the home, the place where the importance of togetherness all begins.