His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), witnessed the signing of an agreement between Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DEWA and Moro Hub (Data Integrated Solutions), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DEWA to join MORO’s newly launched Smart Cities Command and Control Centre.

The United Arab Emirates has announced Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) as the country’s first commercial vertiport for flying taxis, marking a significant step towards the future of mobility.

EITC (du), from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), will build the first Blockchain Platform as a Service in UAE (BPaaS) in partnership with ConsenSys, the leading blockchain solutions provider and venture production studio building decentralized applications and offering an integrated set of solutions for the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem.

Following on from a successful trial, the region’s leading carshare operator ekar, has entered into a partnership with on-demand car refueling company CAFU to ensure that its fleet is always ready to roll with a full tank of petrol in each vehicle.

The UAE’s expert in wired and wireless telecom networks and security solutions, Esharah Etisalat Security Solutions, showcased some of its latest innovations at the 7^th edition of the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) 2019 in Dubai World Trade Center.

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network, has signed an agreement with Transportr to provide a complete digital rail freight solution that will complement Etihad Rail’s range of convenient, efficient, and sophisticated technologies.

Etisalat Digital, in partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Avanza Innovations, have developed UAE Trade Connect (UTC), a new nationwide platform that will use the latest disruptive technologies to digitise trade in the UAE. The initial phase will focus on addressing the risks of double financing and invoice fraud before turning to other key areas of trade finance.

Etisalat Digital has announced Shahada, a tamper-proof digital certificate platform which is to be introduced to all educational institutions in the region, in collaboration with Smartworld.

Etisalat Digital has partnered with DMCC - the world’s flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – to transform Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) into an innovative smart and sustainable district, powered by the 5G network.

Etisalat Digital, the UAE telco's digital transformation business unit, announced its strategic agreement with the UAE's Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) to provide them with machine to machine (M2M) connectivity solutions to empower their smart metering project that will provide advanced services to all FEWA customers.

Etisalat Facilities Management, a subsidiary of Etisalat Service Holdings, has signed an agreement with established market leader eSolutions, part of Midis Group and a regional platinum partner of IBM, to jointly offer Smart Integrated Facility Management solutions to achieve cost savings, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Etisalat has announced the launch of its Video Surveillance (VSAAS), providing small and medium businesses (SMBs) with a value-added service that addresses their security and regulatory compliance needs.

Digital Financial Services, a joint venture of Etisalat and Dubai Islamic Bank and the operator of eWallet services, has partnered with Al-Futtaim to roll out contactless payment options for eWallet users across the UAE.

Evoteq and Johnson Controls join forces to introducean end-to-end integrated Artificial Intelligence platform to create smart buildings and districts. 

As rapid urbanization gains ground across the world, smart city development has become absolutely essential to urban planning in the digital era.

A group of telecommunication experts have discussed the 'challenges' and 'opportunities' in a data-driven world at the world's first ever forum on Data Management. The event was a joint-collaboration between the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) which was held in Dubai, UAE.

The Smart Dubai Office (SDO) has partnered with regional technology business solutions provider Nearbuy to host a trial of the first 'robot receptionist' in the Middle East. Farah, which stands 1.50 metres tall, started work on November 26 at the Smart Dubai Office headquarters in the Dubai Design District.

IQ Fulfillment, the Middle East and North Africa region’s first robotic fulfillment centre, has opened in Dubai.

The city of Dubai has signed an agreement which would map out sky lanes for drones and flying taxis.

The latest GCC E-Performance Index 2022 reveals that all countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region have performed exceptionally well, displaying significant progress in digital transformation.

As per the GCC E-Performance Index, the UAE achieved tangible growth with an average score of 66.22, followed by Saudi Arabia with an average rating of 59.26 and Qatar with 57.63. Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait scored average ratings of 54.02, 53.43 and 51.36, respectively. The report highlights the increased spending on the latest technological solutions to achieve digitally-inclusive economies.

In terms of ICT spending, by 2024, UAE is estimated to expense US$23 billion, Kuwait will shell out US$10 billion, while Qatar’s spending will be around US$9 billion.

The World Economic Forum highlighted the unique set of characteristics of the GCC countries that presents numerous opportunities for leveraging emerging technological solutions to create opportunities. The introduction of 5G and associated use cases, such as education, health, government and smart cities, can help mitigate some regional and local challenges, including natural resource management and economic diversification, with a view towards sustainable development and inclusive growth.

The GCC region’s ICT development has strengthened the digital economy, enhanced productivity and created efficient means for direct access to government e-services. In fact, governments across the GCC have prioritized digital transformation, keeping it at the core of their economic and social development plans and a key component of their respective Vision 2030 plans.

The GCC E-Performance Index aggregates each country’s performance in the top five global indices: the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) 2021 by INSEAD, the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2021 by Portulans Institute, the Government AI Readiness Index 2021 (GAR) by Oxford Insights, the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2022 by the United Nations.