TEHRAN – Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani and Spain’s ambassador to Iran, Antonio Sánchez Benedito Gaspar, met here on Tuesday, exploring ways to boost collaboration, particularly in areas related to urban management.

"To manage the city, we benefit from elites, communities, and public participation," Zakani said, elaborating on Tehran’s management model, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday.

Thanks to an eightfold increase in financial resources over the past four years, urban management has been successful in developing the capital, he added. "Accordingly, transportation, environment, air pollution, technology, and smart city development will experience fundamental changes in the years to come."

Tehran will be one of the most technologically advanced cities in the future, Zakani said, adding that Tehran, Madrid, and Barcelona can promote cooperation in technology, transportation, and other sectors.

The Spanish envoy, for his part, highlighted the respectful relations between the two countries. Referring to recent challenges in Iran, the 12-day war imposed on the country by Israel, the official said, unlike other European countries, the embassy of Spain was not closed since “we are interested in interacting with Iran in times of crisis and peace.”

Sánchez Benedito Gaspar also welcomed the idea of boosting ties between Tehran, Madrid, and Barcelona, voicing interest in following up on specific fields, particularly transportation, to develop cooperation.

Smart City Exhibition and Conference

Tehran hosted the sixth Iran Smart City Exhibition and Conference from November 4 to 6.

With the theme of Iran’s smart cities and artificial intelligence, the event was held on the occasion of the World Cities Day, aiming to promote innovation, develop smart city infrastructures, and share experiences between scientific, industrial, and management sectors, IRNA reported.

The exhibition section features a series of companies, organizations, municipalities, and technology institutions showcasing their latest products, designs, and achievements in fields related to smart cities and artificial intelligence.

It focused on smart urban management systems and public services, data infrastructure, Internet of Things and big data analytics, smart transportation and clean energy, as well as new technologies in education, health, and urban environment.

The conference was organized by the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, known as Irandoc.

The conference involved a series of expert panels, scientific meetings, and policy discussions that study the latest achievements and challenges in smart cities, urban data, artificial intelligence, and digital governance fields. Professors, managers, and experts in technology shared their views.

MT/MG