DUBAI: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, in his capacity as Chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis, the integrated free zone technology park, has approved the DSOA 2021 Strategy, which is based on UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021 that provide an enabling operational framework for government entities in Dubai and reflects the UAE’s post-oil economy vision.
Commenting on the strategy, Shaikh Ahmad said: “The DSOA 2021 Strategy outlines a road map for the future of Dubai Silicon Oasis to lead its growth and development. Under the directives of our wise leadership and in line with the vision and development strategies of Dubai and the wider UAE, DSOA has put in place strategic objectives that have been translated into initiatives and action plans to support the success of the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021. We are confident that such initiatives help the UAE set the stage for its post-oil economic growth.”
Shaikh Ahmad added: “In its role as a leading driver of growth and progress in Dubai, DSOA will utilise its strategy to build on the four pillars and achieve the overall goals outlined by our wise leaders to make DSO the destination of choice for technology-based organisations. We are also committed to supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups over the coming years through the implementation of integrated policies that will contribute to the development of their businesses and in return consolidate our own growth. We aim to provide the right environment for innovation, creativity, and outstanding performance.”
Four pillars
Shaikh Ahmad noted that the strategy will support the technology sector in developing and enhancing its contribution to the GDP of Dubai. It is built around four main pillars that will boost growth and development at the high-tech park — a smart city, an advanced technology hub, happiest people and a desirable society.
He pointed out that innovation is an essential component of the DSOA 2021 Strategy that reinforces the UAE’s focus on sustainable development towards shaping a knowledge economy and emerging as one of the most innovative countries in the world.
Shaikh Ahmad added that the initiatives and policies of the DSOA 2021 Strategy focused on building the capabilities and competencies of the UAE in the technology sector and served to encourage entrepreneurship, provide employment opportunities and career development for UAE nationals to contribute actively in this sector.
Highlighting the core aspects of the strategy, Shaikh Ahmad said: “Through the first pillar, DSOA will aim to develop a smart, integrated, and connected city that optimises its resources and ensures excellence across the built environment by leveraging technology and innovation as well as focusing on good governance. The second pillar reiterates DSO’s commitment to its existing vision and mission, and to consolidating its leading position as the preferred investment destination for foreign capital — specifically for companies working in the technology industry — and as the most business friendly free zone in Dubai for leading international technology companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups”.
“With the third pillar, DSOA seeks to increase employee innovation, experience, and happiness to ensure that staff members remain confident about their future and take pride in their jobs — this pillar seeks to instill a corporate culture that values the human element within an organisation. Lastly, through the fourth pillar DSOA seeks to create a transparent and secure environment that preserves the rights of individuals and institutions,” he concluded.
Vision and mission
The DSOA 2021 Strategy consolidates earlier achievements and takes bigger steps towards realising the vision and mission of the park through promoting technology-based industries, facilitating their work, and boosting research and development efforts as part of an integrated community.
The UAE Vision 2021 aims to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by the Golden Jubilee of the Union. In order to translate the Vision into reality, its four pillars — United in Responsibility, United in Destiny, United in Knowledge, and United in Prosperity — have been mapped into six national priorities that represent the key focus sectors of government action in the coming years. These priorities are: cohesive society and preserved identity, safe public and fair judiciary, competitive knowledge economy, first-rate education system, world-class health care, and sustainable environment and infrastructure.
