Doha, November 18 (QNA) - Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further enhance Lusail City's position as a leading smart city. Through this collaboration, Lusail will serve as a living innovation testbed, building on its existing smart infrastructure and sustainable urban solutions, to integrate emerging technologies and encourage a thriving ecosystem for research, development, and innovation.

The collaboration marks a strategic step in advancing Lusail's position beyond a real estate development, reinforcing its role as a "district of innovation", a model for sustainable urban intelligence and national innovation excellence. Through this partnership, Lusail will further expand its ecosystem to host pilot technologies supported by key innovation clusters, spanning artificial intelligence, mobility, advanced digital infrastructure, and sustainable urban systems.

Eng. Omar Ali Al Ansari, Secretary General of QRDI Council, said: "Our collaboration with Qatari Diar represents a major step in enhancing Lusail's role as a living laboratory for innovation. We are connecting national capabilities, international expertise, and emerging technologies to create a truly cognitive city, one that reflects Qatar's vision for sustainable, technology-driven growth. We aim to strengthen the link between research, industry, and impact, and advance Qatar's position as a global innovation leader."

By utilizing Qatari Diar's expertise in smart city development and QRDI Council's mandate to accelerate innovation-driven growth, the MoU establishes a framework to develop flagship R&D projects, innovation testbeds. The initiative aims to drive new business and technology capabilities, strengthen Qatar's global innovation competitiveness, and align with the Qatar National Development Strategy 2024-2030 and QRDI 2030 Strategy.

Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Ali, CEO of Qatari Diar, stated: "Signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council marks an important milestone in strengthening Lusail City's role as a living innovation testbed, and future technologies. Through this collaboration, we move forward in leveraging Lusail's advanced smart infrastructure to transform it into a leading model that inspires the cities of tomorrow and embodies Qatar's vision of building a knowledge-based, innovation-driven, and sustainable economy.

"We are confident that this partnership will open new horizons for testing and advancing emerging technologies, building an integrated innovation ecosystem that fosters creativity and accelerates the adoption of cutting-edge solutions, contributing to enhancing the quality of life in Lusail and reinforcing its position as a pioneering hub of urban innovation."

This partnership exemplifies the shared vision of both institutions to enhance national innovation capacity, encourage public–private collaboration, and contribute to Qatar's journey toward a diversified, knowledge-based economy. Lusail's continued evolution as a cognitive city will serve as a flagship model for seamlessly integrating technology, research, and design to enhance citizen well-being and urban experiences. (QNA)