Shaping Dubai's Smart City Vision at the Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai 2015

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 03 June 2015 - The second edition of the Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai 2015, the foremost smart cities event in Dubai is all set to take center stage on 2-3 November 2015 at the Sofitel The Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai. Held under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality, the two-day summit will feature local and international speakers and panelists, and an exciting agenda of keynote speeches, case studies and panel discussions. The summit is produced by global conference organizers, Expotrade.

Over 350 delegates are expected to attend the summit, which seeks to bring into focus smart city development strategies and best practices, with emphasis on the initiatives taken up with respect to Dubai’s Smart City Vision. The agenda will include sessions on the latest advancements in all areas of smart city development, ranging from the Internet of Things (IoT), smart mobility, transportation, traffic management and public lighting, to energy efficiency, smart metering and grid infrastructure, healthcare, telecommunications, automation, urban security, waste and water management, and much more. Also scheduled are sessions on Dubai’s Smart Government goals and a case study on the Dubai Silicon Oasis Project.

Growing urban populations and an increase in demand for resources have led to governments across the world to take note of the acute need for planned and sustainable urban development which has given way to the development of smart cities. As a region, the Middle East is no stranger to this trend and has emerged as a hub for smart city development. Dubai, especially, with its Smart City vision that seeks to transform itself into one of the world’s best connected and smartest by 2017 is the ideal location to host a gathering of thought-leaders in smart city development. The summit’s agenda is in line with the Dubai Smart City strategy that covers the three tracks of Smart Economy, Smart Life, and Smart Tourism. The critical element of innovation is also a key constituent of the underlying theme of sustainability at the Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai 2015.

The previous edition of the event held last year was attended by over 350 senior smart city executives, government officials, sustainability experts and smart city solution providers, united in their common aim of discussing the latest in technology, developments, efficient resource management and innovation. The summit’s success was evident from the favorable comments made by delegates at its close. Ali Al Suwaidi, Vice President, Idama Facilities Management, said, “I think the event is a great opportunity for us as a non-profit association to really network and communicate with decision-makers. Future cities is a very important concept for all of us to think about today, how to have better cities in the future. And of course, it’s an amazing platform where we have people talking about technology, about infrastructure, transportation, the ecosystem, and we wanted to add a little bit of flavor about facility management because, at the end, we need to ensure that our cities are not only smart, but healthy too, which is what we tried to demonstrate through our paper today.”

Rasha Harib, Project Architect, Al Turath Engineering Consultant, opined, “The summit was comprehensive. It contained product, service and research approach of different companies from developed countries, opened the insight opportunity of new thinking in design and construction. As an individual I learned how I could participate in sustainability, green environment by implementing the smaller scale aspects of smart living.”

Dubai’s growth trajectory is on an upward rise, with public and private sector projects valued at Dhs17.9 billion ($4.87 billion) to 2019, including public sector opportunities alone worth Dhs4.3 billion ($1.2 billion) according to industry estimates. The UAE’s commitment to innovation is evidenced in its measures such as appointing a Chief Innovation Officer in all government departments in line with its mission to be a global innovation engine. The seven pillars of municipality, ground-transport automation, police, national security and defense, utilities smart grid, travel and tourism, and retail are expected to power Dubai’s journey towards attaining its smart city goals in time for the World Expo 2020.

Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East, organizers of the conference, said, “The concept of future cities is critically important for Dubai, with its plans for sustainable urban development. A summit that promotes sustainability and seeks to showcase the most relevant smart city concepts, technology and best practices, is the ideal platform to connect government officials with leading experts for mutual collaborative effort that is required. We are privileged to have the support and patronage of the Dubai Municipality for this event.”