Dubai has launched a series of ambitious initiatives aimed at solidifying its position as a global smart city leader. These include the Dubai Internet of Things (IoT) Strategy and the Data Wealth initiative, designed to safeguard the emirate’s digital assets and foster a comprehensive smart living environment. Complementing these efforts, the Dubai Now app is set to unify access to thousands of government services.
Dubai’s Digital Transformation Vision
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, has spearheaded the launch of the Dubai IoT Strategy and the Data Wealth initiative. These landmark projects underscore Dubai’s commitment to building a robust digital infrastructure, recognizing it as a strategic national asset in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The overarching goal is to establish an unmatched smart lifestyle for residents and achieve a 100 percent paperless government by 2021.
- Digital Infrastructure as a Strategic Asset: Dubai views its digital framework as crucial for future growth and innovation.
- Smart Living for All: Initiatives aim to enhance daily life through advanced digital services and connectivity.
- Paperless Government by 2021: A key objective is to fully digitize government operations, improving efficiency and sustainability.
- Economic Growth: Expected significant financial contributions from IoT, open data, and Blockchain applications.
The Dubai IoT Strategy
The Dubai IoT Strategy is designed to cultivate the world’s most advanced IoT ecosystem, protecting the emirate’s digital wealth and accelerating its smart transformation. It is structured for implementation over three years through four phases:
- Coordination: Aligning efforts and activities for IoT policy implementation across government departments.
- Integration and Conversion: Harmonizing efforts towards a unified IoT Strategy.
- Optimization: Refining and enhancing the implemented strategies.
- Blockchain Journey: Full integration of IoT policies and realization of the strategy’s return on investment.
The strategy encompasses six strategic domains: governance, management, acceleration, deployment, monetization, and security. A notable technical project under this strategy is Dubai Crowd, which aims to manage and organize large crowds during peak seasons, utilizing real-time data for enhanced safety and security.
Safeguarding Digital Wealth
The Data Wealth initiative is central to preserving Dubai’s digital assets. It encompasses a broad spectrum of elements, including data, data-storing and processing technologies, smart-tech transformation, and paperless transaction policies such as Blockchain, digital signatures, and digital IDs. This initiative also covers smart living and clean energy solutions.
Expected to generate AED33.8 billion within three years, Data Wealth projects significant economic contributions:
- IoT Value: Projected to reach AED17.9 billion by 2020.
- Open and Shared Data: Expected to add AED10.4 billion to the GDP by 2021.
- Blockchain Applications: Anticipated to contribute AED5.5 billion to the GDP by 2020.
Dubai Digital Certificates will serve as a benchmark for evaluating smart services, ensuring the integrity and security of data wealth.
Dubai Now: A Unified Government Services App
Further enhancing smart government services, the Dubai Now app is set to become a single, intelligent personal assistant for residents. Inspired by Google Now, this application will provide access to approximately 2,000 government services from 19 different entities through 25 micro-apps across 11 categories. Users will benefit from personalized notifications on traffic, auto-payments, and customized information, all accessible through a single login. By leveraging big data, Dubai Now aims to tailor services to individual user patterns, significantly improving the overall customer experience and contributing to the happiness index of residents.