Towards green Internet of Things (IoT) for a sustainable future in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: current practices, challenges and future prospective

The proliferation of devices connected via the Internet of Things (IoT) leads to high energy consumption, e-waste production, and ultimately, additional extra carbon emissions. To maximize the benefits and reduce the detrimental impact of IoT on the environment, the concept of green IoT (GIoT) is presented, which can fulfill the need for a smart and sustainable world. This study aims to investigate the current practices, challenges, and policies related to the implementation of GIoT in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain). GCC countries are placed in the top 14 per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the world. This study pioneers discussing the GIoT through the GCC perspective. Therefore, this study reviews the threat of e-waste to the environment and counteract strategies of GCC nations. The impact of living standards in GCC countries on embodied energy and obsolescence overheads were highlighted. This study provides insights into economic diversification plans laid out by GCC countries in their national vision and moving away from dependence on hydrocarbon reserves. The renewable energy (RE) opportunities available in the context of smart city development and GIoT deployment were evaluated. Power consumptions of computing servers at data centers, sensor nodes, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications were discussed. Integration of artificial intelligence in distributed computing environments was also studied. GCC countries lag in the network readiness index but rank higher on information and communications technology usage (ICT), individual skills, and access to ICT. GCC countries are also making steady progress in building the best international practices and in leveraging opportunities to transform digital government models.