Dubai: Smart Dubai announced on Wednesday that it has onboarded a new partner in the joint Retail Sector Data Project, launched in late 2019 in partnership with Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (Dubai Economy) and other semi-government and private entities.
The project outlines a clear vision to decision makers about the changing consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns of citizens and residents in times of emergency, which allows shopping malls to provide safe experiences for people amid full safety measures.
Smart Dubai is collaborating with several partners on the current project, namely, the Department of Economic Development; Majid Al Futtaim; du from the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company; and today also announces onboarding Network International, the largest enabler of digital commerce in the Middle East and Africa region, as the newest partner.
Smart Dubai is utilising available data, which will be analysed and optimised for value in an effort to enhance experiences and services in the retail sector and spread happiness among residents. “Having received positive feedback from our partners on this project, and to meet the objectives of our Private Sector Engagement Strategy by enhancing data collaboration between the public and private sectors, Smart Dubai is currently in discussions with all parties to further expand the scope of the project and potentially include more new partners,” said Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General, Smart Dubai
The project seeks to guide the retail sector towards making the right investments.
“Through the retail sector initiative in partnership with Smart Dubai, we aim to increase opportunities for public-private collaboration and enable business owners to launch, expand, and manage their operations more easily through improved knowledge of the market and consumer behaviour,” said Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy.
Smart Dubai is looking to expand the project with the objective to develop a more thorough profile of visitors who frequent shopping malls in the Emirate of Dubai, including their spending patterns and payment-method preferences. This will enable the development of services that better cater to requirements of residents and visitors.
The data collaboration with Network International is expected to add value to Smart Dubai’s data base. Network’s anonymised, aggregated “Merchant Acquiring Data’ will enable both public and private policy makers make data-driven decisions that boost the resilience of the city’s retail sector,” said Samer Soliman, Managing Director for Network International’s Middle East operations.
