Kuwait’s Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) has integrated artificial intelligence and spatial data technologies to enhance road maintenance and urban planning across the country. Since 2016, PACI vehicles have conducted annual street-view photography of the nation’s road networks, creating an extensive visual database that supports infrastructure monitoring efforts.

By applying AI-driven image recognition to this growing archive, the system automatically detects and classifies various types of road damage, such as deep cracks, surface fractures, and alligator cracks. Each defect is precisely mapped with geographic coordinates, enabling targeted maintenance operations. According to Salem Al-Otaibi of PACI, the technology allows state maintenance projects to prioritize areas with the highest concentration of road damage and address issues more efficiently. The data is also linked with the Ministry of Public Works to anticipate potential challenges with contractors involved in repair works.

Beyond road management, PACI is developing a comprehensive three-dimensional “digital twin” of Kuwait by combining high-resolution aerial imagery captured by advanced drones with detailed street-level photography. This digital replica allows government officials to assess building heights, aiding telecommunications providers in optimizing cell tower placement to improve network coverage. The model also supports oversight of building code compliance and enables the assignment of official civil identification numbers down to individual floors and apartments.

These spatial information systems underpin critical government platforms such as the Kuwait Finder app and the Kuwait Spatial Information Portal. Together, they serve more than 460 government entities and private sector organizations, including logistics and delivery companies, by providing accurate geographic and infrastructure data that facilitates planning and service delivery nationwide.