South-East Asia Leads AI-Driven Smart City Development, Peers Follow Suit

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 17, 2025 — The concept of Smart Cities has evolved globally, with the focus largely on a better quality of life, for which use of technology especially Internet of Things (IoT) has taken center stage.

Like rest of the developed world, South-East Asia has also seen its countries envisage development of Smart Cities.

Notably, Malaysia is presently hosting South-Asia’s first Smart City Expo, a three-day event from September 17-19 organized to highlight the role of Artificial Intelligence in transforming urban life.

Several countries in South-East Asia have selected hundreds of their cities for transforming them into smart cities.

The expo is likely to see representatives of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) models, who are part of consortiums and joint ventures to discuss how world-class amenities are possible with the integration of IoT in developing smart electricity, smart transport and sustainable living.

In South-East Asia, Singapore has already rolled out wide-scale IoT initiatives, deploying connected sensors to monitor air quality, streamline public transport, and enhance public safety.

The city-state already features among the national annual growth leaders in Wellness Real Estate segment. 

Many of the lesser-developed Asian nations are following Singapore’s footsteps to build IoT-powered smart grids, minimize wastage of energy and use connected water systems that can detect leaks in real time.

Considering most of the South-Asian nations are busy commercial and tourist hubs, developing smart parking solutions helps them to cut down on fuel consumption and emissions.

Singapore also caters to a huge influx of patients from abroad seeking healthcare services, making it one of the pioneers of medical tourism in South-East Asia. In healthcare, wearable devices and remote monitoring systems are being linked to municipal health services, improving care for elderly and vulnerable populations.

Know More About AI Use in Smart Cities

Intelligent Traffic Management System: Singapore registers about 65,000 overseas students enrolled every year in its educational institutes offering professional courses, while as international visitor arrivals to the city-state increased 4.5 percent year-on-year in August 2025, reaching 1.6 million, according to the latest data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Singapore has an efficient seamless transport, including Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which is in line with the nation’s Smart Mobility 2030 plan. AI-optimized schedules designate buses and trains as per the demand and the AI systems monitor traffic through sensors and cameras reducing incident response times by 20 percent. In simpler terms traffic congestions or road accidents in Singapore are tackled more efficiently now. Cities such as Dhaka in Bangladesh is said to be analyzing the Singapore traffic regulation model for its implementation.

AI-based Smart Solutions in Other SEA Nations: Right from inception to final project execution, South-East Asian countries are increasingly embracing AI-driven urban development, with its focus on balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations to ensure long-term health and well-being for people and the planet.

Besides utilizing AI for traffic optimization, Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative has become a global yardstick for energy conservation and public safety. Meanwhile, Jakarta has adopted AI-powered flood monitoring systems that helps to mitigate its vulnerability to sea levels rising above the danger mark and incidents of urban flooding. Bangkok is deploying AI for air quality monitoring and public transport management, while Ho Chi Minh City has introduced smart lighting and waste management solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. Hong Kong, with its AI-driven smart transport systems and sustainability-driven urban planning innovations, also joins Southeast Asia’s leading cities in spearheading smart city transformations with AI.

What’s in the Line-up at Smart City Expo

The ongoing expo in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur with the theme “Cities with AI: shaping our digital future”, is a meeting point for global leaders, urban policy makers, investors, innovators, startups and academics, among other profiles.

The event, co-organized by Fira de Barcelona and the Malaysian Digital Ministry, is taking place in the backdrop of presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by the Malaysian country, which gives the event an added advantage to appeal to wider geographies.

The first edition of Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur has been divided into four strategic areas including cities with artificial intelligence, sustainable and resilient cities, digital entrepreneurship and economic development, and empowering communities through digital solutions.

Most of the deliberations at the expo will take place on these major themes, but the congress will also highlight how AI can contribute to the modernization of cities through solutions that can range from traffic optimization to improving emergency response systems, energy management or the creation of digital twin environments as testing grounds.

Malaysia is presently hosting South-Asia’s first Smart City expo, a three-day event from September 17-19 to highlight the role of Artificial Intelligence in transforming urban life.

Inputs from Saqib Malik

Editing by David Ryder