INVESTING
IN THE FUTURE
The growing interest in the smart city and the need to solve global challenges has led to unprecedented innovation and technological advancement. With the launch of a UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the establishment of a Ministry for Artificial Intelligence, the UAE has solidified its position as one of the most advanced regions for technological innovation. The UAE’s leadership has positively embraced the potential for new technologies. In March 2021, the UAE launched its industrial strategy, Operation 300bn, a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan that aims to establish the UAE’s industrial sector as a success story in driving a sustainable economic model. More than 13,500 micro and small enterprises will benefit from financial and policy support through the newly introduced strategy, creating a subsidiary real economy. Tech-savvy nations are defined not only by the support they provide to enterprises but also through their partnerships in research and innovation. The Abu Dhabi Advanced Technology Research Council, the first research council in the Middle East, was established to shape research
and development for transformative technologies. The establishment of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) aims to become a leading global research centre, dedicated to pushing the frontiers of knowledge. In so doing, it will place the UAE firmly on the map of tech-savvy nations.
Get Smart
Today a city’s success is measured by how wisely it uses energy, water, and other resources, how well it maintains a high quality of life for its people, and how smart it is in building prosperity on a sustainable foundation. In short, cities must become much smarter about using existing capacity and resources. A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information and improve the quality of services, welfare and resources. According to Spain’s IESE Business School research, Dubai ranks 4th in the technology dimension for smart cities and number one for technology in the Middle East.
A high level of digitisation at private and public level is integral in classifying the UAE as a nation that invests in growth and sees value in technology. Silicon Park is one example of how the UAE is positioning itself as a dedicated provider of technologically smart spaces that contribute to the happiness index of citizens and entrepreneurs alike. By bringing together people, data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the UAE is solving not only financial but also social challenges such as the reduction of crime, models of sustainable farming for underprivileged groups and the creation of more urban space for a better quality of life in the cities. The UAE has also made remarkable strides in advancing specialised industries such as aviation, military, mining, renewable energy and the information and communication technology sector through ground-breaking technology use. According to research, by 2030, the number of devices connected to the internet is estimated to reach 1 trillion globally, with the UAE alone expected to reach this figure by 2050. As
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