Designing an invisible interface for a 2030 Smart City in the Middle East
A Senior UX Leader’s Conceptual Case Study for a Middle Eastern Smart Urban Ecosystem
A Smart City UX case study that can be applied to any of the following projects in the Gulf region.
*Disclaimer: Please note this is a conceptual case study and is not based on an actual project. This case study aims to demonstrate, through my skills and experience, how I would approach the management, facilitation, and leadership of such an initiative from a UX perspective. This project has been inspired by Masdar’s sustainable urban mobility pods and NEOM’s digital identity ambitions. This is a speculative example designed to demonstrate my approach to Smart City UX challenges. In a real project, I would validate, test, and iterate with local stakeholders and users.
Executive Summary:
Designing an Invisible Interface for a 2030 Smart City in the Middle East
I led a six-month solo UX project inspired by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 smart-city ambitions. The challenge was to address fragmented urban services and create an integrated, citizen-centric experience spanning identity, mobility, and civic services. Through systems mapping, service blueprinting, and policy-aligned design, I developed bilingual AR and voice prototypes that achieved ≥ 90% task-success rates. Key impact targets included: –10% commute times, +25% digital ID adoption, –20% call-centre load, and +15 satisfaction points, all while embedding privacy-by-design to comply with Gulf data regulations.
This project demonstrates how strategic UX can bridge policy, technology, and culture to deliver scalable, accessible, and future-ready smart-city services.
Role & Scope
- UX Lead (solo, 6-month engagement)
- Collaborated with policy, mobility, and technology stakeholders
- Led strategy for citizen experience, service integration, and trust design
Methods
- Systems mapping to define cross-agency touchpoints
- Service blueprinting for mobility and identity workflows
- Policy integration to align with Gulf data privacy and regulatory frameworks
Key Impact Metrics
- ↓ 10% average commute time
- ↑ 25% adoption of digital identity logins (UAE PASS, Nafath SSO)
- ≥ 90% task-success rate for bilingual (Arabic/English) accessibility flows
cs
- ↓ 20% reduction in call-centre traffic through proactive digital services
- ↑ +15 “Net-Easy” score for citizen service interactions
- ↑ 30% engagement with EV charging stations via mobile integration
Compliance & Governance Considerations
This concept was developed with privacy, security, and regulatory alignment at its core.
Design with consideration to bilingual consent flows and applied data-minimisation patterns aligned with Saudi and UAE PDPL and NCA ECC-2:2024 standards.
Each UX decision is mapped to relevant cybersecurity control families, embedding trust, governance, and compliance at the core of the citizen experience.
Welcome to Neom in Saudi Arabia:
An ambitious smart-city project, and the focus of my case study
Vibrant Society
Safer, more accessible mobility complete with bilingual services.
Thriving Economy
Commute time reduction, productivity gains & tourism flows.
Ambitious Nation
Digital identity adoption, sustainable mobility participation.
Design Process
Below is a high-level overview of the 7-stage design framework used to steer concept to readiness.
Why Smart Cities in the Gulf region?
By 2030, the Gulf region is projected to experience a population increase of approximately 23%, adding over 12 million people to its urban centres. Rapid urban growth across Gulf cities has outpaced the ability of public services to integrate, resulting in fragmented experiences for residents and extensive commute times. In Saudi Arabia, reliance on private cars and limited public transportation options exacerbate the issue, while cultural rhythms such as prayer times and gendered mobility patterns present unique design challenges. Data sharing between ministries remains siloed, further complicating the user journey, therefore, my objective is to design an ambient-first mobility system that reduces friction and scales with cultural context
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Meet Fatima
To ground the challenge, I developed Fatima, a working mother whose daily commute illustrates these systemic frictions. Fatima juggles school drop-offs, prayer breaks, and unreliable transport connections, leaving her frustrated and time-poor. Her story reflects millions of similar users navigating an environment where digital services exist, but lack coordination.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Noise, not systems
Benchmarking global smart cities revealed that solutions like Singapore’s centralised apps or Masdar’s autonomous pods could not translate directly to this context. Instead, the vision demanded an invisible, ambient UX, one that respects cultural nuance and policy constraints while orchestrating services seamlessly across ministries and operators.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Design vision: Mobility & an ambient experience first
Fatima’s experience wouldn't be app-centric, but it would be anticipatory and embedded into the environment around her.
Biometric check-ins trigger transit recommendations for her daily commute.
Voice interfaces give relevant daily briefings.
Her schedule syncs with her child’s transport and Smart City services.
Privacy and gender norms are respected through opt-in transparency.
The design approach
As a UX lead, I would drive the following approaches to bring the vision to reality:
Systems Thinking: Mapping the mobility, AI, and social service ecosystems.
Cultural UX:
Embedding Gulf norms into privacy, space, and gendered needs.
Tech Enablement:
Applying AI, AR, biometrics, and multimodal voice interfaces.
Inclusive Design:
Ensuring accessibility for diverse residents, including elders or users with other types of impairments and/or disabilities.
Research Approach
Since I couldn't interview Smart City residents, I would reverse engineer the context:
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Benchmark Smart City pioneers
Benchmark against other smart cities around the world, such as Singapore, Barcelona and Dubai's Masdar City. I would reference other Smart City approaches in Europe, the USA, as well as in China and the Far East.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Understanding
Study the project's documentation & smart infrastructure plans for the present and future to understand the goals, limitations and overall context. Policy docs (PDPL, ECC-2), authority guidelines, UAE PASS/Nafath integration docs and DLA PiperNCAu.aeSDAIA.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Stakeholder Discovery
Build proto-personas based on projected user types, including tourists, residents, workers, and other key city personnel and service providers. Build personas around the transport authority, municipal operations, police, and call centre owners to identify legacy pain points.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Fieldwork
Intercepts at metro/bus hubs: Shadowing control centres: Diary studies with 10–12 commuters (Arabic/English).
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Inclusion
Recruit elders and people with disabilities early and commit to WCAG conformance and voice alternatives.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Risks & ethics
Surveillance concerns → explicit consent & privacy dashboards.
Comparative Insights & Benchmarking: Research Insights
Masdar City
Signature UX:
Autonomous pods & car-free core
Strength:
Low cognitive load, climate-safe mobility
UX Gap/Lesson:
Limited scale → set expectations clearly
Singapore
Signature UX:
Singpass + LifeSG
Strength:
One-stop, pre-filled, life-event journeys
UX Gap/Lesson:
Privacy concerns → need transparent data UX
Barcelona
Signature UX:
Open data + superblocks
Strength:
Tangible benefits in public space
UX Gap/Lesson:
Many apps → curate entry point for citizens
Cross-city Takeways
→ Design for journeys, not agencies (e.g., life-event wizards).
→ Blend physical + digital UX (kiosks, shaded routes, signage matter).
→ Build trust by design (clear privacy & consent flows).
→ Scope promises realistically (avoid “pilot gap” disappointment).
→ Curate, don’t clutter (unify open data into one front door).
UX Principles
→ Seamless identity & progressive consent.
→ Transparent privacy controls & audit trails.
→ Reliability in local conditions (heat, congestion).
→ Inclusivity: Offline & low-tech fallbacks.
Back to Fatima's interactions
Instead of siloed apps, imagine a contextual mesh of interactions.
- Smart Pod UX ➞ Voice and gesture activation based on presence.
- Parent-Sync Mobility ➞ Fatima receives dynamic updates about her child’s journey to school whilst she is on her way to work.
- Wayfinding & Discovery ➞ AR overlays suggest culturally relevant spots.
- Micro-Feedback Loops ➞ Environment adapts based on behavioural signal.
Conceptualised visuals showing the possible interactions on Fatima's journey to work.
Ambient Experiences
During Fatima's commute, AR overlays appear, guiding and alerting Fatima about not just her journey to work, but also about other points of interest or facilities in her immediate vicinity.
Fatima's Journey Map
Mapping the day-in-the-life of Fatima, thereby ensuring every interaction during Fatima's day is seamless, unobtrusive and serves her needs entirely.
Systems Thinking
By understanding the personal needs of Fatima at the right time, we can ensure the right technology is enabled to help her get what she needs when she needs it.
AR Overlays
Navigation Guidance
Augmented reality navigation overlay providing bilingual directions, guiding users like Fatima with clear turn indicators and distance to a destination in both Arabic and English.
Voice Interaction
Voice-enabled interface allowing users to receive and respond to navigation updates hands-free, with real-time, context-aware prompts displayed in Arabic.
Context-Aware Suggestions
Smart notifications that integrate cultural context, offering prayer-time-aware reminders and Ramadan-specific commute suggestions to enhance local relevance.
Location Check-in
Simple tap-based confirmation flow where the AI requests permission to share the user’s location, ensuring privacy control before completing the “Check me in” action.
Protyping & testing
Visualised mocks would serve as a basis for simulated tests with users and residents of the SmartCity to ensure the concepts work seamlessly and that confusion, friction points or potential navigation issues are handled.
Scaled-Down Service Blueprint: Fatima’s Commute (Home → Workplace)
Layer | Example of Fatima's Journey |
|---|---|
User actions (front stage) | → Fatima leaves her home → Checks her mobility app for the EV shuttle → AR directions guide her to the nearest pick-up hub → She boards seamlessly → Receives real-time ETA updates → Arrives at her workplace on time |
Service support (back stage) | → Shuttle operator schedules and monitors fleet → Neighbourhood hub staff ensure curbside safety → Workplace facilities provide secure drop-off access |
Technology (enabling layer) | → Mobility app with AR navigation → Shuttle fleet dispatch + routing AI → 5G connectivity for live tracking → Digital ID + wallet for fare. |
Partners / stakeholders | Residential community hub, Shuttle Operator, City DOT (lane priority), Workplace facilities, Telecom provider. |
Risk / Dependency | Dependence on network coverage in residential areas: Seamless handoff between community mobility hub and workplace access systems. |
This table represents a scaled-down service blueprint for Fatima’s home-to-work commute.
It illustrates layered delivery across user actions, backstage service support, enabling technologies, and governance partners.
Scaled-Down Governance Swimlanes: Home → Work Pilot Corridor
Actor / Stakeholder | At Launch (Pilot Start) | Ongoing (Mid-Pilot Review) |
|---|---|---|
City DOT | Approves shuttle priority lanes and safety protocols. | Reviews traffic flow and commuter KPIs. |
Shuttle operator | Deploys autonomous EV shuttle fleet. | Monitors uptime, service quality, and safety. |
Residential hub | Manages pick-up curb access and local safety. | Coordinates with city for crowd management. |
Workplace facilities | Allocates drop-off zones and building entry integration | Reviews usage data to optimise arrival flow. |
Passenger (Fatima & peers) | Opts in to pilot, tests commute service. | Provides feedback and adjusts consent settings. |
This simplified swimlane shows key responsibilities for the home-to-work pilot corridor.
Real delivery would add regulators, compliance audits, and inter-agency SLAs.
Scaled-Down Data-Privacy Consent Journey
Stage | Fatima's experience | System / Tech action |
|---|---|---|
Awareness | Sees a gentle prompt: “Enable location for commute support”. | No personal data collected yet (only anonymous service availability). |
Opt in | Chooses to share location for personalized pick-up and live ETAs. | Consent token issued, data securely linked to Fatima’s account. |
Revoke | Uses a simple toggle in the app: “Pause commute tracking. | Data flow stops instantly, consent log updated for audit. |
The journey illustrates a lightweight, transparent consent model clear at entry, reversible at any time, and auditable by governance bodies.
Comprehensive measurement plan
01. Reduction in commute times
Avg. door-to-door commute time: –10% within 12 months
06. Sustainability engagement
+30% opt-in for EV shuttle/first-last mile (municipal ops data)
05. Measuring citizen satisfaction
Citizen “Net-Easy” score for key journeys: +15 pts (2-question survey at completion)
02. Uptake in digital identity usage
Digital identity usage in mobility: +25% UAE PASS / Nafath SSO for transport services (anonymised aggregation)
UAE Passu.aeSDAIA
03. Increasing accessibility
Accessibility task success: ≥90% for screen reader and voice users
04. Reduce support need/costs
Call-centre deflection on mobility queries: –20% (CRM tagging)
Organisational Leadership & Delivery
- Assigned ownership for Identity, Mobility Ops, Content, Privacy, and Security.
- Clear separation of responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed roles across authorities, vendors, and internal teams.
- Weekly multi-discipline critique sessions.
- Central decision log for traceability.
- Arabic-first bilingual content workflow.
- Change-management plan for smooth adoption.
- Work with DGA/TDRA on governance and compliance.
- Partner with RTA/DoT for mobility pilot zones.
- Engage with PIF subsidiaries and private vendors for integration.
Phase 1: Pilot in the first defined district: Privacy/security and validation.
Phase 2: Expand to multiple districts, train/pod operators and integrate vendor data.
Phase 3: Expand city-wide: Continuous optimisation and quarterly governance reviews.
Grounded in reality
This is speculative, but grounded in:
➞ UAE Pass / Nafath (biometric identity)
➞ Voice UI (Alexa Auto, Google Assistant)
➞ Urban IoT (smart benches in Dubai / Riyadh)
➞ Vision 2030 smart mobility ambitions (NEOM, Red Sea Global)
The concept extends these technologies into a culturally aligned, city-wide UX system.
Image courtesy of Biometric Update
Proposed delivery plan
Roadmap and draft proposal
Discovery
→ User research, corridor mapping, privacy & regulatory review
→ 3-4 weeks
→ UX Lead, City DOT, Workplace Facilities
Pilot Design
→ Layered service blueprint, data flow design, consent flow prototyping
→ 3-4 weeks
→ UX Lead, Tech Architect, Shuttle Operator
Pilot Launch
→ Deploy EV shuttle, integrate AR navigation, and onboard initial users
→ 1 month
→ Shuttle Operator, City DOT, Residential Hub
Evaluation & Iteration
→ Collect KPIs, survey users, adjust blueprint and consent flows
→ 2 weeks
→ UX Lead, Data Analyst, Governance Team
Scale / handover
→ Extend the corridor, formalise SLAs, and governance approval
→ 2 weeks
→ UX Lead, Data Analyst, Governance Team
Leadership strategy
Translating human needs into system intelligence
Policy-first discovery
Cross-functional design rituals with AI, IoT, policy, and urban teams
Cross-functional rituals
Ethical AI practices and privacy-first defaults
Inclusive-by-default
Accessibility and voice-first paradigms.
Bilingual rollout
Cultural localisation as a core design layer (Arabic/English)
Definition of success
The design is successful when the city itself becomes intuitive
Enhanced Commute Efficiency
Achieving a 10% reduction in average door-to-door commute time within 12 months through optimised routing and IoT integration.
Increased Digital Identity Adoption
Aiming for a 25% rise in the use of UAE PASS and Nafath SSO for transport services, facilitating seamless and secure user authentication.
Improved Accessibility
Ensuring ≥90% task success rate for screen reader and voice users, demonstrating commitment to inclusive design.
Reduced Support Overhead
Targeting a 20% decrease in call-centre deflection on mobility queries, indicating effective self-service options and user satisfaction.
Higher User Satisfaction
Achieving a 15-point increase in Citizen “Net-Easy” scores for key journeys, reflecting enhanced user experience.
Sustainability Engagement
Aiming for a 30% opt-in rate for EV shuttle services, contributing to environmental goals.
Handling of External Constraints
Navigating infrastructure gaps, cultural nuances, or policy hurdles to ensure a seamless experience.
These metrics align with the broader Vision 2030 pillars:
- Vibrant Society: Promoting safer, more accessible mobility with bilingual services.
- Thriving Economy: Reducing commute times to boost productivity and tourism flows.
- Ambitious Nation: Encouraging digital identity adoption and sustainable mobility participation.
Reflection & Hypothetical Outcomes
User Satisfaction:
+20–25pt uplift in commute satisfaction; ~90% task success on core journeys.
Ease of Use:
Early NPS/ease scores +10–15pts with strong adoption signals.
Key Risks
- Pilot success may not scale city-wide.
- Tech reliability (pods, data systems)
- Privacy & trust concerns with data sharing
Adaptive Strategy
- Rapid feedback loops (2-week sprints)
- Fallback channels (kiosks, physical tokens)
- Mid-pilot reflection workshop to adjust scope
Deployment Challenges
- Cross-agency coordination & ownership
- Ethical oversight & data governance
- Inclusivity for non-smartphone/multi-language users (Non-English/Arabic speakers)
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Let's reflect
This is a speculative case, but it represents my strategic thinking, and I designed this example not to impress, but to express how I lead UX when the stakes are large and the systems are complex.
As someone who lived in the region, I deeply understand the region's promise and its complexity.
Finally, this case study demonstrates how my UX leadership can translate policy and infrastructure complexity into inclusive, measurable outcomes for Gulf smart-city programmes.
I look forward to applying this expertise to Vision 2030-aligned initiatives in the region.
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