Smart Dubai Moves to Engage Private Sector in Data Economy

The Smart Dubai Office (SDO) organised a workshop titled “Public-Private Engagement Towards a Data Economy” as part of it’s efforts to implement a strategy and policy package to engage the private sector in the Dubai Data Initiative.

The workshop sought to encourage the private sector in Dubai to participate in the data economy, in a manner that ensures mutual benefit and improves services and smart-city experiences. With 55 entities – all trailblazers in the data sector, including government departments alongside local and international private companies and start-ups – the workshop saw participants engage in insightful discussions regarding the formulation of the Dubai Data Strategy, exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by private-sector data in Dubai, and shedding light on data-exchange platforms, emerging technologies, and the rules and regulations for data marketing and sales.

Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General, Smart Dubai and CEO, Dubai Data Establishment, said: “Data is the bedrock upon which smart cities are built and developed; with that in mind, and in an effort to implement the Dubai Data Law, Smart Dubai launched a series of data policies earlier this year to boost the emirate’s data-exchange capacities. This workshop targeting the private sector complements these efforts and highlights the importance of cooperation between the private and public sectors to maximise benefits from data, which is extremely valuable for the future of Dubai.”

“Establishing an integrated and holistic data environment ensures optimal organisation and exchange of data,” Al Nasser added; “this is essential for maintaining and utilising the digital wealth of the emirate and maximising its positive economic impact. Achieving these objectives requires the joint efforts of the public and private sectors, in addition to raising awareness among all stakeholders about the importance of data to move ahead with data-focused initiatives and projects and make Dubai the happiest and smartest city in the world.”

The workshop included a comprehensive overview of the Dubai Data Initiative, as well as a discussion around the Dubai Data Law and the Dubai Data Policies that regulate data exchange and dissemination. Participants also discussed governance and regulations for emerging technologies and data usage across various sectors, focusing on uses cases in 10 main sectors: information technology, real estate, transport and infrastructure, financial services, retail and wholesale, tourism, health, construction, education, and the safety and security sector.

Furthermore, the workshop explored ways to develop these use cases and identify data sets that could be shared by the private sector, in addition to outlining the main characteristics of a trustworthy data ecosystem. The seminar focused particularly on the Dubai Pulse platform, the all-inclusive data platform and backbone of the emirate’s smart transformation, which seeks to facilitate data exchange among various government and private entities.

The workshop identified several key components that help guarantee the success of smart-city projects, including strategies, governance and regulatory frameworks, smart-city culture, and applied technologies. The workshop also tackled the challenges and opportunities facing each sector in terms of data sharing, as well as mechanisms and incentives to encourage the private sector’s participation in the data economy.