Integrating Smart City Planning Strategies for Saudi Arabia: Insights from the Baikal Smart City Master Plan

This paper critically examines the Baikal Smart City (BSC) Master Plan to extract planning strategies applicable to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. A qualitative analytical methodology was employed, combining a comparison of conventional and smart master plans, a detailed review of the BSC establishment process, and evaluation of its industrial phasing, spatial diversification, and infrastructure integration. This structured analysis was synthesized into a methodological framework highlighting transferable techniques for Saudi Arabia’s emerging smart cities. Findings demonstrate that the BSC’s segmented, scenario-based approach offers practical alternatives to static zoning, emphasizing renewable energy integration, adaptive land use, intelligent transport, and climate-responsive design. The analysis also highlights the importance of integrating tangible and intangible infrastructures, promoting innovation-driven economies, and incorporating cultural identity into planning. For Saudi Arabia, these lessons translate into strategies for overcoming heat stress, water scarcity, and high energy demand while ensuring socially inclusive, resilient, and globally competitive smart urban ecosystems.