From Vision to System in the Gulf: T-NEVs, Pilot Operations, Unified MaaS, and the Smart Urban Mobility Authority (SUMA)

Abstract

Gulf cities face a persistent implementation gap: ambitious multimodal visions codified in Oman’s Greater Muscat Structure Plan (GMSP), and the Oman National Transport Model (ONTM) and echoed in Saudi Vision 2030 programs, continue to struggle in converting policy intent into lived, climate-responsive mobility. Building on five prior studies that conceptualized, ecologized, engineered, evaluated, and institutionally framed Integrated Humanization (IH), this paper advances a systems blueprint that bridges the vision–delivery divide through four coordinated innovations.  First, a legislative innovation defines the Thermal-Protected Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (T-NEV) as a new vehicle class - fully enclosed and air-conditioned - with explicit right-of-way, safety, and licensing parameters tailored to hot-arid neighborhoods. Second, an operational innovation deploys a neighborhood-scale pilot connecting homes to BRT/LRT stations, combining shaded access corridors with geofenced speed control to validate first–last-mile performance before major capital commitments. Third, a technical innovation specifies a unified, account-based mobility platform (“One-App”) that integrates ticketing, routing, and fleet dispatch across BRT, buses, T-NEVs, micromobility, and taxis - eliminating digital fragmentation for residents and visitors alike. Fourth, an institutional innovation establishes a Smart Urban Mobility Authority/Unit (SUMA) to consolidate mandates, data governance, procurement, and performance enforcement. IH’s climate realism is operationalized by embedding two performance tools ASTI (Access-Shed Thermal Index) and IH-IMI (Institutional Humanization–Institutional Maturity Index) into codes, contracts, and dashboards. The resulting framework provides a practicable pathway to implement GMSP Section 6 (Efficient Transport System) and to align execution with Oman Vision 2040 and Saudi Vision 2030 trajectories. Ultimately, the study demonstrates how IH evolves from a research series into an enforceable, measurable, and scalable urban-mobility framework-offering a replicable Gulf standard for human-centered, climate-resilient mobility across Muscat, Riyadh, and peer cities.