Technology drives Dubai’s economy

Creating a global research and development hub

Dubai’s government is committed to creating a forward-thinking, pro-innovation environment for businesses of the future. A progressive agenda has created regulatory sandboxes and a live test bed for tech industries which allows them to trial products before releasing them into the wider world. The emirate also contains a dynamic community of start-up incubators and accelerators to support and nurture businesses at various stages of development.

Examples of this include Volocopter, the world’s first autonomous flying taxi, and a partnership Virgin Hyperloop One, which is being developed with DP World to create a hyperloop-enabled cargo system to support the fast, sustainable and efficient delivery of palletised cargo.

Designed to provide exceptional service for high-priority, on-demand goods, DP World Cargospeed systems will deliver freight at the speed of flight and closer to the cost of trucking.

AI and robotics

Dubai’s Strategy for Artificial Intelligence covers a number of fields. Traffic and transport – to reduce accidents and cut costs, health – to minimise chronic and dangerous diseases, space – to improve experiments and reduce mistakes, renewable energy – to maximise the field’s potential, water – to analyse and improve potential and existing sources, technology – to improve productivity and direct spending and education – to cut costs and increase demand for learning.

This environment has spurred interest in AI and robotics and the emirate ranks as number one in the world for FDI and technology transfers in this field.

Mobile connectivity and IoT

5G mobile internet networks will increase the proliferation of smart services, machine-to-machine communication, and connected transport. At present there are 100,000 5G-ready smartphones in the MENA region and Dubai’s Etisalat has built 600 5G sites.

Dubai’s Internet of Things (IoT) strategy is ever-evolving. The benefits of IoT enabled devices are expected to be seen as the 5G network is rolled out, and as 5G devices continue to proliferate.

Autonomous transport

Dubai’s Autonomous Transportation Strategy marks it as a global leader in the development and implementation of autonomous transport, with ambitions for 25% of all transportation in the emirate to be autonomous by 2030. According to KPMG’s Autonomous Vehicle Readiness Index, the UAE is one of the top 10 countries for readiness to accommodate driverless vehicles. Other initiatives include a target to have 42,000 electric cars on the road by 2030 and the development of DP World Cargospeed which will provide super fast transit of palletised cargo.

The Dubai Blockchain Strategy

The Dubai Blockchain Strategy seeks to make the city the first in the world to be fully powered by blockchain by 2021. The technology will be used to digitally process 100 million documents per year to enhance productivity and reduce waste.

The strategy will usher in economic opportunities across all sectors, and cement Dubai’s reputation as a global technology leader, saving 25.1 million man hours and US$1.5 billion. This is in line with Smart Dubai’s mandate to become a global leader in the smart economy, fuelling entrepreneurship and global competitiveness.

Innovation in health

Dubai Health Authority is working with some of the world’s most innovative companies to implement cutting-edge medical technologies, including 3D-printed prosthetics. Huge growth is expected in the medical products market in Dubai, and it is expected to be worth US$1.7 billion by 2025.

International innovation

RIISE is a platform developed by Dubai-based Customs World which will enable countries to automate core customs activities, conduct trade in the global market, and make real-time decisions. The system can be customised and uses techniques such as AI, prediction, natural language processing (NLP) and blockchain to automate processes and eliminate traditional process bottlenecks in customs systems.

3D-Printed buildings

Perhaps the most remarkable of Dubai’s plans is its 3D Printing Strategy, which aims for the city to become a hub for this incredibly useful technology. A key target of the strategy is to ensure that 25% of Dubai’s buildings will be 3D printed by 2030. The city holds the Guinness World Record for the first 3D printed office.