Dubai Smart City Initiative

Dubai Smart city initiative KHALEEJ TIMES | ADvertISInG Supplement | tHurSDAy, mAy 29, 2014

Aiming high and smart

Focusing on six key areas, the Smart Government Initiative of the Dubai government is set to revolutionise the way we live

Our goal is for the entire city’s services and facilities to be available on smartphones... we want to provide a better quality of life for all His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

Suneeti Ahuja-Kohli

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hat began as an eGovernment era with the launch of a government portal in 2001 has transformed into a Smart Government initiative in just over a decade. If in 2001, the Dubai government’s intent was to streamline information from 24 local government departments through a single platform — www.dubai.ae, in 2014 plans are afoot to virtually integrate Dubai’s public and private sectors for a never-before experience.

“Our goal is for the entire city’s services and facilities to be available on smartphones... we want to provide a better quality of life for all,” tweeted his highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UaE and Ruler of Dubai, in March this year shortly after announcing the Dubai Smart Government Initiative. aiming to capitalise on the high penetration of smart phone users in the UaE, which stands at over 72 per cent, the

Shaikh Mohammed during the launch of the Dubai Smart City project in March this year. Under the strategy, 1,000 government services will be digitised in the next three years.

Smart Government initiative essays for revolutionary changes through six key pillars and 100 initiatives in transport, communications, infrastructure, electricity, economic services, and urban planning. Under the strategy 1,000 government services will go smart in the next three years.

Every smartphone user will be able to access up-to-the-minute information on

traffic, entertainment, weather, tourism, dining, flights, emergency services and much more. the government also proposes to transform the way we travel.

With free Wi-Fi on public transport, parks, taxis and infrastructure for charging stations for electric cars, you can expect to stay connected round the clock. taking the comfort of technology to the next level, the Roads and transport

authority (Rta) is planning to launch an app that will steer drivers to available parking. Rta also plans to implement a comprehensive plan to ensure access to provide the smartest transportation system in the world through development of traffic systems, transportation, and creation of a unified control centre for all means of transportation and traffic. By the end of 2015, it plans to provide more than

200 services using smartphones. alongside, the Dubai Electricity and Water authority (DEWa) is leapfrogging with its environmental friendly approach. taking a step towards a greener society, the authority will install smart metres for customers to monitor the power and water usage in real time. also, consumers would be allowed to install a smart power grid that enables households to generate and sell their own solar power. the next three years would be extremely interesting, as Dubai adds another dimension to data gathering process. It plans to build a 5-D control room, the world’s largest room, which will be used to follow up on the process of transformation of the emirates. It will also be a focal point for information on government projects and service indicators, roads, weather conditions and emergency situations, etc.

Besides this, there are plans to erect the

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DUBAI SMART CITY INITIATIVE

total solUtions For rUBBer ProdUcts ELJI International LLC — Manufacturer and exporter of rubber tiles and rubber flooring elJi international llc, a member of happy holdings, is a well-established company with several years of manufacturing experience in various rubber products. elJi is capable of converting natural rubber, SBr, ePdM and other rubber and rubber-related raw material to value-added products of best utility and sophistication, based on customer requirements using various processes such as moulding, extrusion, etc. the product range of elJi international includes building protection systems such as corner guards, speed humps, wheel stoppers, wall guards, marine fenders, bearing pads, a wide range of general-purpose products like seals, o-rings, packing strips, expansion joints and beadings. elJi is specialised in manufacturing rubber gaskets for different industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical and water industries. elJi international is also well known for its variety of rubber tile and flooring products. due to its versatility, rubber tiles are replacing the conventional concrete interlock tiles and other synthetic products. elJi rubber tiles, which come in different designs and shapes, manufactured using the high quality ePdM rubber granules giving more softness for the surface and colour

durability. it is widely used for playgrounds, schools, house courtyards, horse stables, etc. elJi flooring, done for jogging tracks, common play areas and swimming decks, are the best solution to avoid slippery floors and is environment-friendly. All the flooring and tiling can be adapted to customer requirements and can also be done, based on requests, using both recycled and reclaimed rubber products, thus providing a cost effective solution, depending on end use. elJi international’s products are exported to both developed and developing countries. it is well accepted by end users and has been utilised in various prestigious projects. elJi products go through stringent quality measures using the established Qc systems by employing foolproof testing equipments and rigorous stage-wise inspections. elJi is led by a team of highly qualified professionals to supervise, direct and develop technical and professional policy matters. elJi international is guided by its chairman dr P V S namboothiripad, a postgraduate engineer from iit Mumbai. he has served as the ceO for Apollo tyres as well as cMd for hindustan latex. he has also served at Al rajhi Petrochemicals, KSA, at a senior advisory capacity.

Aiming high and smart » ConTinued FroM previous page largest open global laboratory for creative people and specialised companies, which will encourage people to try all that is new in science and immediately apply it. the sky is the limit for dubai’s ambitions. As part of the announced plan, the dubai designdistrictwillbetransformed into the smartest spot in the world where companies would be able to provide smart solutions tailored to meet the needs of customers and facilitate transactions such as licences, visas, customs and other government services. in parallel, businessmen and investors would be able to take advantage of the open access to smart services delivered by ports, customs and bourses. the dubai Municipality (dM) is another key stakeholder in the process. As it works to turn its 450 e-services into smart services in the next few years, plans proposed by the authority will remodel our parks and beaches. While you put your feet up in any of these areas, you would be able to get information on weather, sea, temperature and safety of the place with the click of a button. it also plans to launch i-dubai, an app that provides information relating to the services of the municipality as well as the Smart Address and other initiatives. the dubai Police too have chalked out its plans for 2014. it includes implementation of a number of smart phone services that reduce the burden on members of the public and ensure that none of them need to visit the

The “Dubai Government: Towards 2021” initiative, launched by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council in February, aims for a virtually integrated Dubai

Like father, like son: Shaikh Mohammed and Shaikh Hamdan discuss plans for a smarter Dubai, just as late Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Shaikh Mohammed did in the 1990s. police stations except in cases that requires personal presence.

With the involvement of key government departments, the vision of Shaikh Mohammad “to touch every individual in the country — every mother in her home, every employee at his work or investor in his project or child

in his school or doctor in his clinic” seems plausible. the onus of success lies equally with the users as well. People need to make themselves aware of the possibilities and adopt the new technology and way of life with open arms.

—suneeti@khaleejtimes.com

Every smartphone user will be able to access upto-the-minute information on traffic, entertainment, weather, tourism, dining, flights, emergency services and much more. The government also proposes to transform the way we travel.

For a better world

The smart City initiative aims to focus on technology that makes it easier to live, navigate around and do business in dubai

Sadiq Shaban

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ubai is going full throttle in its march to modernity. Guided by the visionary leadership of his highness Shaikh Mohammed bin rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAe and ruler of dubai, the emirate is on the verge of being transforming into a ‘Smart city’. the aim is to focus on technology to make it easier to live, navigate around and do business in dubai. the strategy will see renewed initiatives on transport, communications, infrastructure, electricity, economic services and urban planning among

other sectors.

While launching the initiative his highness Shaikh Mohammed bin rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAe and ruler of dubai remarked, “Our country is today ushering in a new era for the improvement and development of quality of life through this gigantic project which got underway through an unprecedented publicprivate partnership to make a new reality for all and change the concept of city which the human being lives in so as to live with him through his smart phone and who will be its key pivot.”

Under the project dubai will witness the development of smart and personal boards that contain all information and data about the emirate in one centralised place to make it convenient for individuals to communuicate with various institutions. the roads and transport Authority (rtA), for instance, is planning to provide the smartest transportation system in the world through development of traffic systems, transportation and creation of a unified control centre for all means of traffic. this includes providing more than 200 services with the help of smartphones (by end-2015).

Similarly the dubai electricity and Water Authority (deWA) will start a smart electrical grid that encourages people to use solar energy while selling the surplus to the government. the dubai design district is being developed on similar lines to provide smart solutions to firms. this includes facilitating transactions such as licenses, visas, customs and other government services. the department of economic development, dubai Municipality, dubai Police and other key government departments are also working on smart initiatives, which are going to be unveiled in the coming years.

— sadiq@khaleejtimes.com

Making cities sMart the world over With over 200 smart city projects deployed across the world, Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management sustainability

Schneider electric is among the top three smart city companies in the world with 200 smart city projects deployed across the world. As a global leader in energy management sustainability, it has always been at the forefront of its offering.

Schneider electric does not treat Smart city as a singular action but an assimilation of several smart systems working for the benefit of residents and the environment. Various aspects of a city including electric grids, gas distribution systems, water distribution systems, public and private transportation systems, commercial buildings, hospitals, homes — these form the backbone of a city’s efficiency, liveability, and sustainability. it is the improvement and integration of these

critical city systems — done in a step-by-step manner — that become the cornerstones to making a smart city a reality.

“We believe that cities successfully making the transition to ‘smart’ will be those that improve their critical systems by combining a bottom-up, systemscentric approach with a top-down, data-centric one. dubai is poised to be a successful smart city. this is reflected in its strategy, which features six key pillars and 100 initiatives on transport, communications, infrastructure, electricity, economic services, and urban planning. Most importantly, the leadership’s vision is driving it,” said Benoit dubarle, country President, UAe, Oman and Pakistan, Schneider electric.

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DUBAI SMART CITY INITIATIVE

Powering smart strategies deWa smart strategy sets roadmap for sustainable dubai Dubai Electricity and Water authority (DEWa) is actively contributing to develop Dubai into a Smart City. This is part of a wider effort to achieve the Smart City vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the uaE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into one of the smartest city in the world within the upcoming three years. To support this effort, DEWa is undertaking three new smart initiatives. The first is to enable customers and property owners to connect distributed solar panels to DEWa’s power grid under the Distributed Renewable Resource Programme.

This initiative will encourage households and building owners to install photovoltaic solar panels to produce electricity and use it locally within their premises and for their own use, and any surplus electricity generated can be fed into DEWa’s grid. The installation of the solar panels will also contribute to diversifying Dubai’s energy sources and supporting the Green Economy and Sustainable Development initiative announced

by Shaikh Mohammed. it also complements the Dubai integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to reduce energy demand by 30 per cent by 2030, and diversify the energy mix of the emirate with 5 per cent from solar power.

“DEWa encourages households and building owners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to generate electricity, which can be consumed within the premises with the surpluses to be exported to DEWa’s grid. This will further strengthen the power generated and used from renewable sources to fulfil the ‘green economy’ vision announced by Shaikh Mohammed as well as the goals outlined in the Dubai integrated Energy Strategy 2030,” says Saeed Mohammed al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWa. The regulatory framework governing the Distributed Renewable Resources Programme, which incorporates the technical standards for equipment and their

DEWA encourages households and building owners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to generate electricity, which can be consumed within the premises with the surpluses to be exported to DEWA’s grid. This will further strengthen the power generated and used from renewable sources to fulfil the ‘green economy’ vision announced by Shaikh Mohammed as well as the goals outlined in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, DEWA connection procedures, are being finalised to enable the first pilot connections over the coming few months. Customers who want to take part in this can apply online through DEWa’s ‘One Window application’, which will be also used to manage all customer queries about the programme, once it is fully implemented.

The second initiative is to install Smart Meters and implement Smart applications that will provide more information about energy use and ensure faster responses through automatic reconnections. This will enhance the peace of mind and quality of life of Dubai’s citizens and residents, and promotes the use of smart resources to improve sustainability.

DEWa has started a five-year plan to replace conventional mechanical and electromechanical meters with Smart Meters, which will enable DEWa to provide various benefits and new applications to its customers: this includes automatic, detailed current, and historical readings.

Customers can access these readings to monitor their actual consumption over specific periods of time to better understand and manage their bills. additionally, this information will help to identify energy-efficiency measures and enable comparisons to be made. The Smart Meters will support the installation of renewable sources of energy in residential, commercial and industrial sectors by comparing

energy usage between its consumption and generation. “DEWa will install 200,000 Smart Meters over the next three years in Dubai, which will be connected to new advanced computerised systems and software. The work on the first stage has already started and it is expected to be completed before the close of 2015,” says al Tayer.

The third initiative is the implementation of an infrastructure of electric vehicle charging stations at various locations across Dubai, which supports the introduction and use of electric vehicles within Dubai and contributes to enhancing DEWa’s grid efficiency.

The introduction of electric vehicles

will help decrease air pollution and protect the environment against the impact caused by traditional vehicle emissions.

DEWa will establish the infrastructure in collaboration with several stakeholders, such as car manufacturers, Dubai’s airports, Dubai Municipality, key developers, shopping malls, petrol stations, the Road and Transport authority, hotels and car parks. initially, DEWa will start work on installing 100 charging stations in various parts of Dubai during the third quarter of 2014. The work is expected to be completed within a year, and will require coordination with Dubai Municipality, customer representatives and other stakeholders.

“We will continue to undertake initiatives that promote the emirate’s sustainable development and establish Dubai as the smartest city in the world,” says al Tayer.

The three initiatives are an integral part of the Smart Dubai initiative as well as a comprehensive Smart Grid strategy that DEWa will implement in the coming decades. This strategy will enable the conversion of electricity and water networks into networks that will support the development of new services, the usage of new energy technologies, enhanced network management and control, and enables Dubai’s residents to better manage their requirements for energy and water.

Making grids smarter doesn’t just support Dubai’s drive to become a smart city, it is also a key element of DEWa’s strategy to ensure a brighter, sustainable future for Dubai: the objective of the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative of Shaikh Mohammed.

So, Smart Grids will play a powerful role in driving the effectiveness of Dubai and are critical elements for creating a sustainable future.

The Smart Dubai initiative, which aims to enhance the happiness of Dubai’s residents, operates in harmony and integration with all government departments and is led by the Dubai Smart Government Department. initially called Dubai eGovernment when launched in 2000, the Department’s name was changed in June 2013 to Dubai Smart Government,

by Shaikh Mohammed in line with his initiative to transform to an era of smart government.

Transforming Dubai into a smart city accessibility and solid infrastructure are key to a digitally connected locality THE ambition of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the uaE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a smart city within three years is a visionary move. achieving his ambition will help to ensure Dubai becomes one of the most competitive cities in the world to do business, and one of the happiest places in the world to live. at the heart of the Smart City project is a determined drive to leverage information and communication technology effectively, implementing it advantages into the city’s social fabric for the benefit of all. by making better use of technology, we will have access to a huge amount of previously untapped information on everything from government services, local events, transport, and cultural activities. and, all this information will be readily available at your fingertips.

At the heart of the Smart City project is a determined drive to leverage information and communication technology effectively, implementing it advantages into the city’s social fabric for the benefit of all.

Of course, accessible and free Wi-fi connectivity is available in other major cities. but Dubai’s relatively young and digitally enabled population provides a clear

edge in terms of developing the Smart City concept much, much further.

There are numerous elements and agencies that need to be mobilised in order to transform Dubai into a truly Smart City. The involvement of the RTa, Dubai Police, DEWa, the DED and Dubai Municipality represent some of the most obvious areas where government intersects with society, such as transportation, security and safety, utilities, the economy and recreation. it’s these areas and authorities that need to become ‘smart’. Details of their plans are being released on a regular basis.

Dubai Design District, d3, is to be the green field pilot development for the Smart City initiative. it also has big plans. For example, its buildings aim to provide world-

class hard infrastructure that enables its business partners, government authorities, telecommunication companies, and other service providers to

implement their own initiatives in support of the overall ambition.

Once the first phase of d3 is delivered in 2015, the d3 site will offer digital connectivity through-

out the area, using smart solutions and technologies to enhance people’s experience during events, cultural activities, and to ensure accessibility and safety for everyone using the location. intelligent green solutions will also be applied to the physical buildings so they are more sustainable and reduce energy waste.

The end objective of transforming Dubai into a Smart City is to increase everyone’s happiness by ensuring that a mix of the city’s hard and social infrastructure, including a range of vital government services, are accessible and easy to use in the modern digital era where most people are now using smart phones and tablets. it will also ensure that Dubai remains a highly competitive and thriving community that is one of the world’s leading cities.

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