Kigali and Israel’s Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut have agreed to strengthen cooperation in smart-city development and technology, with the two municipalities seeking to exchange expertise on urban planning and digital public services.
The agreement was signed on Oct. 7 by Kigali Mayor Samuel Dusengiyumva and Haim Bibas, mayor of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, establishing a framework for regular cooperation and exchange between the two cities.
The partnership will focus on the use of technology to improve urban management and services, as well as on city planning and digital solutions to challenges facing growing urban areas.
The two municipalities will also share experience in areas including culture and community relations, according to the agreement.
For Kigali, the partnership offers an opportunity to draw on the experience of an Israeli city that has invested in technology as part of urban management and service delivery.
The cooperation is also expected to allow officials from the two cities to compare approaches to challenges such as urban planning, public services and transport, while exploring how technology can be used to improve the way cities are managed.
Kigali has increasingly incorporated digital tools into urban planning and public-service delivery as the city expands.
The agreement provides for continued exchanges between officials and institutions in the two municipalities, with the broader aim of developing practical solutions to shared urban challenges.
