‘A smart city, in simple terms, is an efficient city’ – Dubai
Dubai is utilising the best expertise to realise its vision of a smart city that will transform it into a knowledge-based, diversified economy, explains H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy to Investvine.
What immediate impact do you believe a smart city ecosystem will have on Dubai’s economic development in the near future? A smart city, in simple terms, is an efficient city. The purpose of the endeavours to build a smart city is not just to be smart, but rather for the results of being smart to improve everything in the city. From an economic perspective, a smart city will have a better economic environment, more enabling systems, more opportunities for growth and it will attract more investment. A smart city connects people, businesses, and public organisations, while offering vast opportunities and transforming sectors and industries. As Dubai goes ahead in its project, we will definitely see enhanced productivity, better-connected collaboration across sectors, and increased revenue and profitability for organisations. A smart city allows public and private organisations to be more effective in using resources and assets and in streamlining process. This will contribute to sustainable growth and opening up new opportunities for economic activities.
How can businesses and corporations help make Dubai a smart city? The private sector definitely has a major role to play in achieving the vision of a smart city. Businesses must be engaged through public-private collaboration and work closely with decision-makers on smart city initiatives. Aside from the obvious role of private businesses taking part in providing technology, tools and solutions, public organisations need to engage the private sector in order to adopt successful models that improve their services. Partnerships between private and public sectors are essential to develop thriving and sustainable smart cities. The smart city should be built on interdisciplinary projects that utilise collaborations from the public sphere, academia and research institutes, as well as businesses.
What is in it for small and medium businesses, as well as entrepreneurs? We firmly believe SMEs have an essential role to play in our economy. Our vision is to transform our nation into a knowledge economy, led by a culture of innovation and creativity. The government has created the forums and platforms for enabling entrepreneurs, whether through funding or collaboration or legislations. The federal government for example requires that 10 per cent of all federal organisations procurement is done through UAE SMEs. Aside from efforts, legislations and funding for SMEs and entrepreneurs, the accessibility that a smart city offers creates better opportunities for smaller businesses to compete with the bigger ones. In a smart city ecosystem, SMEs have better chances in reaching potential customers and obtain relevant information from open data systems, allowing them to be more creative, innovative and competitive.
How will your own ministry become smart? The Ministry of Economy has successfully achieved 100 per cent migration to electronic services. The Ministry of Economy has also proven that it has the required capabilities and competencies to live up to the aspirations of our leaders and improve the level of services to contribute to the happiness of the citizens and residents of the country. We have transformed all of our services to smart services on mobile devices and seek to raise smart services usage to 80 per cent by 2018.
Do you think Dubai will be able to export its expertise in smart cities, and is this a way the UAE could capitalise on its smart city initiative? As Dubai makes headway in its smart transformation project, it utilises best international expertise and local talents to develop platforms that enable transformation from traditional into smart services. Such exchange and sharing of experiences and best practices will help Dubai offer a unique model based on best international criteria but with its own distinctive local perspective. Accumulating experience in this field will allow Dubai to offer its unique know-how and experience and give it a competitive edge. The UAE can definitely capitalise on this especially since our national vision and agenda aims to turn our economy into a diversified knowledge-based economy. Knowledge is one of the most important assets that we are keen on developing.
How will a smart city Dubai contribute to the UAE’s envisaged economic diversification? Achieving a sustainable economy anchored firmly across diverse sectors is a critical aspect of the core economic vision of the UAE. The smart city project immensely helps in shaping a knowledge-based economy by facilitating innovation, research and development, and also encouraging the growth of various value-added sectors that will strengthen the country’s reputation as an enabling business environment and accentuate its attractiveness as a leading investment hub. The smart city project will help diversify and strengthen the economy by developing existing strengths, and creating new opportunities for growth, such as new service and creative sectors.
This interview was taken from our report on Dubai’s road to becoming a smart city. Download the full report for free here: Dubai’s Next Ace: Becoming The Scholar Of Smart Cities
Dubai is utilising the best expertise to realise its vision of a smart city that will transform it into a knowledge-based, diversified economy, explains H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy to Investvine. What immediate impact do you believe a smart city ecosystem will have on Dubai’s economic development in the near future? A smart city, in simple terms, is an efficient city. The purpose of the endeavours to build a smart city is not just to be smart, but rather for the results of being smart to improve everything in the city. From an economic...
Dubai is utilising the best expertise to realise its vision of a smart city that will transform it into a knowledge-based, diversified economy, explains H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy to Investvine.
What immediate impact do you believe a smart city ecosystem will have on Dubai’s economic development in the near future? A smart city, in simple terms, is an efficient city. The purpose of the endeavours to build a smart city is not just to be smart, but rather for the results of being smart to improve everything in the city. From an economic perspective, a smart city will have a better economic environment, more enabling systems, more opportunities for growth and it will attract more investment. A smart city connects people, businesses, and public organisations, while offering vast opportunities and transforming sectors and industries. As Dubai goes ahead in its project, we will definitely see enhanced productivity, better-connected collaboration across sectors, and increased revenue and profitability for organisations. A smart city allows public and private organisations to be more effective in using resources and assets and in streamlining process. This will contribute to sustainable growth and opening up new opportunities for economic activities.
How can businesses and corporations help make Dubai a smart city? The private sector definitely has a major role to play in achieving the vision of a smart city. Businesses must be engaged through public-private collaboration and work closely with decision-makers on smart city initiatives. Aside from the obvious role of private businesses taking part in providing technology, tools and solutions, public organisations need to engage the private sector in order to adopt successful models that improve their services. Partnerships between private and public sectors are essential to develop thriving and sustainable smart cities. The smart city should be built on interdisciplinary projects that utilise collaborations from the public sphere, academia and research institutes, as well as businesses.
What is in it for small and medium businesses, as well as entrepreneurs? We firmly believe SMEs have an essential role to play in our economy. Our vision is to transform our nation into a knowledge economy, led by a culture of innovation and creativity. The government has created the forums and platforms for enabling entrepreneurs, whether through funding or collaboration or legislations. The federal government for example requires that 10 per cent of all federal organisations procurement is done through UAE SMEs. Aside from efforts, legislations and funding for SMEs and entrepreneurs, the accessibility that a smart city offers creates better opportunities for smaller businesses to compete with the bigger ones. In a smart city ecosystem, SMEs have better chances in reaching potential customers and obtain relevant information from open data systems, allowing them to be more creative, innovative and competitive.
How will your own ministry become smart? The Ministry of Economy has successfully achieved 100 per cent migration to electronic services. The Ministry of Economy has also proven that it has the required capabilities and competencies to live up to the aspirations of our leaders and improve the level of services to contribute to the happiness of the citizens and residents of the country. We have transformed all of our services to smart services on mobile devices and seek to raise smart services usage to 80 per cent by 2018.
Do you think Dubai will be able to export its expertise in smart cities, and is this a way the UAE could capitalise on its smart city initiative? As Dubai makes headway in its smart transformation project, it utilises best international expertise and local talents to develop platforms that enable transformation from traditional into smart services. Such exchange and sharing of experiences and best practices will help Dubai offer a unique model based on best international criteria but with its own distinctive local perspective. Accumulating experience in this field will allow Dubai to offer its unique know-how and experience and give it a competitive edge. The UAE can definitely capitalise on this especially since our national vision and agenda aims to turn our economy into a diversified knowledge-based economy. Knowledge is one of the most important assets that we are keen on developing.
How will a smart city Dubai contribute to the UAE’s envisaged economic diversification? Achieving a sustainable economy anchored firmly across diverse sectors is a critical aspect of the core economic vision of the UAE. The smart city project immensely helps in shaping a knowledge-based economy by facilitating innovation, research and development, and also encouraging the growth of various value-added sectors that will strengthen the country’s reputation as an enabling business environment and accentuate its attractiveness as a leading investment hub. The smart city project will help diversify and strengthen the economy by developing existing strengths, and creating new opportunities for growth, such as new service and creative sectors.
This interview was taken from our report on Dubai’s road to becoming a smart city. Download the full report for free here: Dubai’s Next Ace: Becoming The Scholar Of Smart Cities
