Seoul: South Korean internet giant Naver Corp. announced the completion of digital twin platforms for three major cities in Saudi Arabia, as part of the country’s smart city initiative. The platforms cover Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah, spanning a total area of approximately 6,800 square kilometers, which is about 11 times the size of Seoul. They include data on over 920,000 buildings.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the digital twin platforms utilize high-precision 3D modeling to offer urban planning support and analytical tools. These features provide terrain analysis, skyline and sunlight exposure simulations, and real-time verification of building designs. Additionally, the platforms include disaster simulation capabilities, such as flood forecasting and risk analysis.

The project was commissioned by Balady, Saudi Arabia’s national digital platform, which intends to expand the digital twin platform to other cities. Naver secured the contract in October 2023 and initiated the project in July of the previous year. A Naver official stated, “We will continue to enhance the platform, expand its regional coverage and discover new use cases in cooperation with local partners.”