Dubai Unveils Ambitious Smart Government Initiatives and Digital Wealth Strategy
Dubai is forging ahead with its vision for a smart city, launching groundbreaking initiatives and applications aimed at enhancing government services and safeguarding its digital assets. These strategic moves, including the Dubai IoT Strategy and the Data Wealth initiative, underscore the emirate’s commitment to leveraging technology for improved citizen well-being and economic growth.
Key Takeaways
- Digital Transformation: Dubai is rapidly advancing its digital infrastructure, positioning itself as a leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
- Citizen-Centric Services: New applications like Dubai Now aim to consolidate and personalize government services for residents.
- Data as a Strategic Asset: The Data Wealth initiative emphasizes the importance of protecting and leveraging digital data.
- Future-Proofing: Initiatives are designed to ensure Dubai’s continued growth and efficiency through advanced technological integration.
Dubai’s Digital Wealth and IoT Strategy
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, officially launched the Dubai Internet of Things (IoT) Strategy and the Data Wealth initiative. These initiatives are designed to protect the emirate’s digital assets and recognize outstanding government and private entities with Dubai Digital Certificates.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that Dubai’s established digital infrastructure is a crucial national asset. He directed all government institutions to fully implement these initiatives by 2021, with Dubai Digital Certificates serving as a benchmark for evaluating smart services.
Dr. Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr, Director-General of the Smart Dubai Office (SDO), highlighted that these initiatives lay the groundwork for Dubai’s smart digital transformation, aiming for a better life for its residents. The Dubai IoT Strategy seeks to build the world’s most advanced IoT ecosystem, protecting digital wealth and encouraging government departments to embrace smart transformation, ultimately achieving a 100 percent paperless government by 2021.
The Dubai IoT Strategy: A Phased Approach
The Dubai IoT Strategy will be implemented in four phases over three years:
- Coordination: Aligning efforts and activities for IoT policy implementation across government departments.
- Integration and Conversion: Harmonizing efforts towards the IoT Strategy.
- Optimization: Further refining the strategies.
- Blockchain Journey: Full integration of IoT policies and realization of the strategy’s Return on Investment (ROI).
This strategy covers six key domains: governance, management, acceleration, deployment, monetization, and security.
Dubai Now: Your Smart Personal Assistant
Dubai is set to launch "Dubai Now," an intelligent personal assistant application designed to consolidate approximately 2,000 government services from 19 entities into a single platform. Built on the principles of Google Now, this app will provide personalized information, from traffic updates to auto-payment options, through 25 micro-apps across 11 categories.
Ali Al Azzawi of the Dubai Smart Government (DSG) Department stated that Dubai Now will offer a unified user experience, regardless of the service’s originating entity. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director-General of DSG, noted that the app will leverage big data to analyze customer behavior and provide tailored services, enhancing the overall user experience and contributing to the happiness index of residents.
Data Wealth: The Foundation of a Smart City
Data Wealth encompasses a broad range of elements, including data, data storage and processing technologies, smart-tech transformation, and paperless transaction policies like Blockchain and digital signatures. This comprehensive framework includes 121 smart initiatives, 200 databases, and 1,129 smart services. It is projected to generate AED 33.8 billion within three years, with the IoT market reaching AED 17.9 billion by 2020. Open and shared data is expected to add AED 10.4 billion to the GDP by 2021, and Blockchain applications in government departments are anticipated to contribute AED 5.5 billion to the GDP by 2020.
Dubai Crowd Initiative
As part of the IoT Strategy, the Dubai Crowd initiative was also launched. This technical project aims to manage and organize crowds during peak seasons, such as New Year’s Eve, by analyzing real-time data and suggesting scenarios for decision-makers, ensuring safety and security in the emirate.