Abstract:
The US-Israeli war on Iran has transformed the technological and AI-driven development of the Gulf cities, especially their smart infrastructure, into surfaces of attack. What was once a source of strength thus becomes a point of vulnerability. Despite the advanced defence weapons systems that protect the Gulf countries territories and cities, this hyperwar, which integrates drones, missiles, cyberattacks, and AI-driven cognitive warfare, has the capacity to degrade energy, technological and water infrastructures across the region. These systems are precisely what sustain urban life and underpin ongoing technological and AI development This raises a critical question: How will Gulf cities adapt to this new geostrategic environment, and could themselves emerge as new actors within the logic of Hyperwar?
