Chae Seon-joo of Naver, Saudi Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail, NHC Innovation CEO Rayan Al-Aqeel and Naver Cloud executive Han Sang-young attend a signing ceremony establishing Naver Innovation in May 2025. Photo courtesy of Naver \n <\/p>\n
Aug. 20 (Asia Today) — South Korean Internet company Naver said Thursday its cloud-based digital twin technology has been selected as Saudi Arabia’s national standard platform for municipal digital twin projects.<\/p>\n
Team Naver said the platform received formal approval from Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority, giving the company a foundation to expand its technology throughout the country three years after winning its initial project in 2023.\n<\/p>\n
Following the approval, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing recently sent an official notice recommending that local governments give priority consideration to Team Naver’s platform when implementing smart-city projects.<\/p>\n
The notice asks local authorities to consider using the platform for digital twin projects to prevent duplicated investment among municipalities and standardize technology and methodology nationally.<\/p>\n
The broader goal is to connect digital twin and digital urban planning projects run by individual local governments under a unified national framework.<\/p>\n
Saudi authorities plan to use Team Naver’s platform to shift a range of local government functions toward data-driven administration, including urban planning, city operations, asset and infrastructure management and public safety.<\/p>\n
Municipalities would also be able to share data and operational experience.\n<\/p>\n
Team Naver won a contract from the Saudi municipal and housing ministry in October 2023 to establish digital twin platforms for major cities.<\/p>\n
In 2025, the company completed systems for Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, digitally replicating more than 920,000 buildings across about 6,800 square kilometers, an area more than 11 times the size of Seoul.<\/p>\n
Naver said the national designation will allow it to deepen cooperation with the Saudi government and local partners.<\/p>\n
The company also plans to further develop technologies tailored to Saudi needs using the expertise and data accumulated through large-scale urban digital twin projects.<\/p>\n
“This national standard designation is significant because it validates not only Team Naver’s technology but also the results and trust we have built locally,” said Chae Seon-joo, Naver’s head of strategic business and chairwoman of Naver Innovation.<\/p>\n
“We will use this as a foundation to incorporate Team Naver’s capabilities in digital twins, artificial intelligence and cloud technology into urban infrastructure throughout Saudi Arabia and further strengthen our position as a key technology partner supporting digital transformation in the Middle East.”<\/p>\n
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/p>\n
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