While Dubai once pursued its vision through
magnificent real estate, today it is harnessing technology to drive a
pioneering investment programme designed to make it a Middle Eastern technology
hub and transform the lives of 3.1 million citizens. This city is nothing if
not ambitious.
Dubai not only has the
world’s tallest building, it is also assembling the world’s largest solar park
and is investing substantially in creating a state-of-the-art city through
technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, blockchain,
autonomous vehicles and drones, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI)
applications. Digital technology lies at the heart of ‘Smart Dubai 2021’, Dubai’s future city
initiative.
In the run-up to 2021, the year
of Dubai’s
golden jubilee, the government aims to improve residents’ lives and bolster its
position as a model global city by hardwiring technology into its fabric,
adding to its status as a leader for smartphone usage. Highlighting the
importance of technology, His Highness Sheikh Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, has
described technology as enabling his vision, noting that technology development
is not an end in itself. Evidence suggests that the large-scale application of
new technology can yield major socioeconomic benefits. High rates
of digitisation can lead to not just higher economic growth but also
social inclusion and poverty reduction, access to quality healthcare and
education, and lower CO2 emissions, according to the McKinsey report ‘Digital
Middle East: Transforming the region into a leading digital economy’.
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