Dubai: – The involvement of residents in Dubai’s transformation into a smart city was the highlight at the first Dubai Smart Cities Forum, which took place today at the World Trade Centre.
Decision-makers, experts and specialists gathered at the forum to discuss the different approaches that need to be factored into future urban planning for the development of smart city projects.
“Smart city projects, in general, revolve around people more than anything. We measure the smartness of a city by what it offers to residents and visitors in terms of improving their efficiency and productivity or enriching their quality of life,” said Ahmad Bin Byat, CEO of Dubai Holding and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government.
Referring to the Dubai Smart City initiative, which was launched in February, speakers addressed challenges related to facilitating collaboration among government authorities, service and communication providers to achieve the goal of Dubai becoming a smart city by 2021.
“Our goal is not just to make Dubai a smart city but to make it the smartest city,” said Bin Byat.
He pointed out that Dubai is witnessing a massive transformation that is more than just a technological change. Service providers, government or private, are increasingly under pressure to meet the growing requirements of the public. “We face the challenge of creating a connected city in which the public and private sector work together with individuals in an integrated ecosystem.”
Rashik Parma, President of IBM Academy of Technology, highlighted the impact of a smart city on the government, transport, health services and standard of living. “A smart city is not just about hi-tech, it’s about engaging people and responding to their needs. The city should be able to talk to its residents through seamlessly interconnecting systems to facilitate their lives in the best manner possible while making optimum use of the resources.”
He explained that the key to the future success of a city is to attract, retain and develop a sustainable core of talent, and have the ability to anticipate problems to resolve them proactively.
The positive impact of a smart city, however, is reflected on its residents and visitors, said Dr Hichem Maya, Head of Business Transformation Services at SAP and another speaker at the forum.
A smart city improves living standards, transforms governments and boosts economic prosperity, he explained.
“If we are to achieve this objective, we need to ensure that the public and private sector is flexible, agile, innovative, and capable of engaging individuals and communities.”
The first session of the Dubai Smart Cities Forum was hosted by the Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government, a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world.
