RIYADH: For years, the vision of the “smart city” has been sold on a promise of hyper-efficiency: a world of sensors, seamless traffic, and artificial intelligence-driven automation. But as a wave of next-generation urban projects rises from the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa, a more profound question is emerging: What should a smart city actually do for its people? The recent BRICS Urban Future Forum in Moscow, which drew thousands of global experts, made it clear that the conversation has shifted.