Smart Dubai

When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced Dubai’s smart city initiative, Smart Dubai, in March 2014, he challenged the project team to lead a new wave of digital transformation, with a radically new approach.

DUBAI in 2014

For decades, Dubai had made a name for itself as a remarkably technically-advanced city: by 2014, Dubai was already home to the world’s longest autonomous metro system; the world’s tallest building; and the world’s largest artificial island — all fully interconnected to the city’s existing infrastructure. These monumental achievements were made possible through the commitment of Dubai’s government departments, who had proven in the past decade that they were up to the challenge of modern technology.

Xische was asked by the Smart Dubai team to help surmount this challenge, and find a way to unite and inspire a team of partners who were more accustomed to competing against each other, rather than collaborating.

BUILDING ON HISTORY

The Smart Dubai initiative was setting out to disrupt the status-quo, and prepare the city to adopt the latest technologies: Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, that were already beginning to alter the way cities were being planned, managed and operated — for both the public and private sector.

The Smart Dubai initiative was tasked to lead a citywide transformative effort. Upgrading the digital infrastructure that underpins the city to prepare Dubai to maximise the benefits to the city from emerging smart technologies.

But to achieve this transformation, Smart Dubai would need to unite government departments who had spent decades working in silos, and to engage with the private sector on a massive scale for the first time.

A GUIDING VISION FOR HAPPINESS

To inspire a network of partners to overcome traditional barriers, and work together for a common goal, we sought to define a purpose for Dubai’s smart city ambitions that went beyond the traditional hallmarks of success — the number of sensors, the volume of database, the user-base for a government application.

Inspired by the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Xische crafted a vision for Smart Dubai that recognised that technology is only a means to an end for a smart city: the real purpose of a smart city is to promote people’s happiness.

With a bold vision statement: to make Dubai the happiest city on earth Smart Dubai was able to inspire a vast partnership network of more than 25 public and private sector entities to work with each other to achieve a citywide transformation at an unparalleled scale.

Xische has built and continues manage Smart Dubai’s regional narrative, working hand-in-hand with the senior leadership of Smart Dubai to reach its public and private sector audiences with its message to create happiness for Dubai, by working together across sectors to improve city experiences through technology, for everyone who lives, works in or visits Dubai.

Our team is embedded in-house with Smart Dubai to ensure narratives effectively reach audiences across all communications touch points: speeches, presentations, case studies, reports, press releases, interviews, events, digital content, outreach and partnerships.

A NEW PARADIGM FOR SMART CITIES

Armed with a unique and pioneering vision for smart cities — to promote happiness — international events that began as fact-finding missions for the Smart Dubai team have morphed into platforms for evangelism.

Xische manages global narratives for Smart Dubai, contributing Dubai’s emergence as the new global benchmark to smart city transformation. Smart Dubai senior leadership have presented the Dubai case study at over 60 international conferences and forums, delivering keynote addresses and participating in panel discussions and policy roundtables, promoting the message of Smart Dubai: that people’s happiness, not technology, is the end goal of any smart city.

In three years, we have witnessed a global shift in the smart city narratives, rooted in the vision of Smart Dubai.

Today, cities across the globe are re-thinking their smart city initiatives, as technology-enriched vessels to deliver enhanced quality of life to residents.

MANAGING NATIONAL CHANGE

Since its inception, Xische has managed positioning, global narratives, partnerships and new ventures for Smart Dubai.

Smart Dubai senior leadership have presented the Dubai case study at over 60 international conferences and forums, delivering keynote addresses and participating in panel discussions and policy roundtables, promoting the message of Smart Dubai: that people’s happiness, not technology, is the end goal of any smart city.