ICT & Innovation
From The Report: Dubai 2020
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Dubai is looking to place itself ahead of global trends by investing heavily in ICT and innovation. With an already highly developed market for ICT products and services, the emirate is seeking to harness the transformative potential of digitalisation to facilitate government-to-government and government-to-citizen transactions, and increase efficiency across a range of industries. While the public investment-driven nature of the sector’s momentum contrasts with the private sector model pioneered by Silicon Valley in the US, the approach is proving to have its own advantages. At the same time, the emirate is leveraging its free zone network to attract international investment, while pursuing policies aimed at developing the start-up ecosystem. This chapter contains an interview with Aisha bin Bishr, Director-General, Smart Dubai Office.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Springboard to growth: Government-led innovation and a growing tech start-up ecosystem support economic diversification
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Dubai is looking to place itself ahead of global trends by investing heavily in ICT and innovation. With an already highly developed market for ICT products and services, the emirate is seeking to harness the transformative potential of digitalisation to facilitate government-to-government and government-to-citizen transactions, and increase efficiency across a range of industries. While the public investment-driven nature of the sector’s momentum contrasts with the private sector model…

Analysis

The next phase: Investment-focused plans to repurpose Expo 2020 infrastructure
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As Dubai looks ahead to Expo 2020, activity across numerous sectors related to the mixed-use District 2020 legacy project could catalyse rapid progress in the emirate’s plans to build an innovation-driven economy. District 2020 is the emirate’s project to rapidly repurpose the site of Expo 2020, building a new commercial and residential area, built around a technology-oriented business ecosystem. In September 2019 Shanghai-based investment firm Atlas Capital Holding became the latest…

Interview

Smart evolution: Aisha bin Bishr, Director-General, Smart Dubai Office, on using technology to drive sustainable growth and efficiency
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Interview:Aisha bin Bishr How is blockchain technology reshaping the public sector and its administrative procedures? AISHA BIN BISHR: When the Dubai Blockchain Strategy was launched in October 2016 we understood it would be a key long-term technology for enhancing government performance. However, it is important to note that the technology is still nascent and more pilot schemes will be needed in order to fully understand the effects of its implementation. Nonetheless, we have isolated three…

Analysis

Growth zone: International agreements and new centres for innovation spur investment in Dubai Internet City
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The opening of a new innovation centre and the success of local start-ups highlights the continued centrality of Dubai Internet City (DIC) to the emirate’s ICT and innovation sector. The free zone, which opened in 2000, began its operations by attracting many of the world’s most significant technology multinationals – including IBM, Cisco, Oracle and Microsoft – to establish their regional headquarters in the DIC. Between 2000 and 2018 the DIC attracted a total of Dh7.8bn ($2.1bn)…