Sharjah Digital Department organises ‘Sharjah GIS Forum'
Sharjah: Sharjah Digital Department (SDD) organised the inaugural Sharjah Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Forum, bringing together government entities and leading technology companies in the field across the emirate. The forum forms part of SDD's ongoing efforts to advance digital transformation and strengthen institutional integration by leveraging the latest GIS technologies.
The forum, held at Aljada by Arada in Sharjah, drew significant attendance, with around 172 participants. Among the distinguished attendees were several senior officials from Sharjah's government departments and institutions, including His Excellency Eng. Omar Khalfan bin Huraimel Al Shamsi, Chairman of Department of Municipalities Affairs, and His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director of Sharjah Publishing City.
Strengthening joint action
His Excellency Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General of Sharjah Digital Department, emphasised the forum's role as a vital platform for exchanging expertise and expanding collaboration among government entities. He highlighted the growing importance of spatial data as a foundational element in supporting decision-making, enhancing service delivery, and improving overall government performance. His Excellency expressed his hope that the forum would foster greater cooperation in building an integrated digital environment grounded in accurate, reliable information towards serving the community and advancing the emirate's shared development goals.
A Step Towards Digital Integration
In her opening speech, Her Excellency Eng. Lamia Al Hussan Al Shamsi, Director of SDD, emphasised the critical role of geographic information systems in urban planning, infrastructure management, environmental monitoring, and public services. She described GIS as a key enabler of sustainable development guided by clear visions and strategic planning. Her Excellency also reaffirmed SDD's commitment to strengthening this vital sector, empowering its workforce, aligning collaborative efforts, and investing in initiatives that improve quality of life and advance digital integration across the emirate.
In this context, Her Excellency highlighted the Mada Geographic Data Platform, launched by SDD during GITEX 2024, as a key step toward advancing geospatial data sharing across the UAE. Mada is a centralised, continuously updated database that enables seamless exchange of geographic information between government entities. This facilitates more effective spatial planning, streamlines government processes, and enhances the quality of public services, ultimately supporting the emirate's economic growth.
A Paradigm Shift
His Excellency Obaid Saeed Al Tunaiji, Director General of Sharjah City Municipality, affirmed that the Municipality's participation in the forum reflects its commitment to sharing its expertise and showcasing its projects in the field of geographic information systems. He noted that the forum also provides an opportunity to learn from other experiences to strengthen institutional performance and enhance operational efficiency, in line with the emirate's strategic direction. Al Tunaiji highlighted several advanced digital initiatives driven by GIS technology, including the 'Smart Inspection' system and the digital platform for issuing No Objection Certificates for sewage services.
Urban Planning Support
Eng. Fatima Juma, Head of the GIS Department at Department of Town Planning and Survey, affirmed that the Department's participation in the forum aimed to highlight its key applications and strategic directions in the field of modern geography and urban planning. She explained that the presentation focused on core themes such as geospatial data and statistics, the integration of geographic artificial intelligence in future planning, and the development of smart cities. She also emphasised the role of geographic information systems in advancing urban projects and underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships to support the growth of this vital sector.
Innovation for Sustainable Development
Khalid Abdullah Al Zarooni, Head of Information Technology at Sharjah Archaeology Authority, stated that the Authority's participation in the forum provided a valuable opportunity to showcase its pioneering project, the 'Archaeological Geographic Information System,' which reflects its steadfast commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the Emirate of Sharjah. He noted that the forum served as an effective platform for exchanging expertise, fostering knowledge-sharing, and exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation in leveraging digital innovation to support sustainable development, aligned with the emirate's comprehensive strategic vision.
Ambitious Goals
The Sharjah Geographic Information Systems Forum aimed to familiarise participating entities with the latest technical solutions and global best practices in the field of geographic information systems (GIS) and how these can be leveraged to enhance government performance through effective spatial data collection, analysis, and visualisation. It also sought to strengthen cooperation between government departments by promoting data and information sharing, thereby accelerating procedures, improving service delivery, and supporting informed decision-making based on sound scientific principles. The event further aimed to advance integration in executing joint projects and strategic plans across the emirate.
Insights and experiences
The forum featured a series of specialised sessions highlighting the role of geographic information systems in predicting natural disasters, supporting urban planning, and building unified geospatial frameworks to enhance coordination between federal and local entities. Discussions also covered the application of GIS in protecting archaeological sites, streamlining inspection processes, and issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs), alongside a presentation of GIS implementations by the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority. Other session topics explored integrating advanced technologies, such as digital twin models and artificial intelligence, to support smart geospatial solutions, particularly in areas like rainwater collection, flood management, and spatial data analysis to improve the efficiency of government operations.
Honouring
The forum emphasised the importance of unifying efforts in exchanging geospatial data to enable greater integration and accessibility of information. This, in turn, contributes to more efficient planning and management, reduces time and effort, and supports the development of accurate, strategic decision-making that advances comprehensive development across the Emirate of Sharjah. The event concluded with a ceremony honouring participating entities in recognition of their valuable contributions to digital transformation and the enhancement of smart government performance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: SCA warns investors against unlicensed individual, company in Dubai
The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has issued a fresh warning to investors against dealing with an individual and a Dubai-based company found to be operating without approval. In a notice published on its website, the regulator said Thoufeek Raja Abdul Majeeth is not licensed or authorised to carry out activities under its supervision. 'The SCA assumes no responsibility for any transactions or dealings with him in this regard,' the statement noted. The SCA also cautioned the public against FX GLOBE Marketing Management, a Dubai-based firm, stressing that it is not authorised to conduct regulated financial activities or provide related services. The authority urged investors to verify the licensing status of any entity before transferring funds or entering into agreements, warning that transactions with unlicensed operators could leave them vulnerable to fraud. The move is in line with SCA's mandate under Federal Law No. 4 of 2000 to protect investors and safeguard the integrity of financial markets. This is the latest in a series of advisories issued by the regulator. On July 17, the SCA cautioned the public against engaging with Sigma-One Capital, Sigma Wealth World Financial, and Sigma One Cap Marketing Services, none of which are licensed to operate in the UAE. The warnings come on the heels of a series of Khaleej Times investigative reports that uncovered how such entities operating through shell firms, fake offices, and offshore registrations lured UAE residents into transferring thousands of dirhams through aggressive cold calls and misleading trading dashboards.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Tokio Marine Insurance UAE simplifies claims with Kodak Alaris' AI-driven automation
Tokio Marine Insurance UAE, a leading provider of comprehensive insurance solutions in the region, has significantly accelerated its claims registration process through a new partnership with Kodak Alaris. By deploying AI-driven document automation technology, the insurer has reduced claims processing time by 90%, streamlined operations, and improved overall customer satisfaction. 'Insurance is more than just a policy, it's a promise,' said Tsuyoshi Yamasaki, General Manager at Tokio Marine Insurance Dubai. 'When our customers reach out, they're often in distress. It's our job to be there at the time of need.' Until recently, the claims team at Tokio Marine Insurance UAE manually processed hundreds of submissions a day, particularly for car insurance. Each case required multiple documents - police reports, Emirates ID, driver's license, vehicle registration - and involved extracting dozens of critical data points, all by hand. With up to 600 claims arriving daily via email, the workload placed immense pressure on staff and exposed the process to inevitable delays and errors. That pressure reached new heights during the unprecedented floods of 2024, which drove claim volumes to record levels across the country. The experience reinforced the need for a future-proof solution that could scale under pressure and maintain the company's high service standards. To address the challenge, Tokio Marine Insurance UAE turned to Kodak Alaris - a trusted technology partner with deep experience in document intelligence. Together, the two teams designed and implemented an AI-enhanced automation solution, anchored by Kodak's Info Input platform and powered by Microsoft Document AI. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Kodak Alaris engaged in in-depth discovery sessions and ran a focused proof of concept that validated results from the outset. Since deployment, the time required to process each claim has dropped by 90%, enabling faster communication with customers - often within hours rather than days. The automation platform now handles three times the daily claims volume, while exception handling has decreased by 60% due to improved accuracy and automated validation. With a legacy dating back over 144 years, Tokio Marine Insurance has long been committed to its guiding principle: 'QUALITY, ALWAYS.' This latest digital transformation initiative reinforces that promise by simplifying a historically complex aspect of the insurance journey - claims processing. Staff who once focused on manual data entry are now redeployed to handle complex cases requiring human judgement, enhancing both job satisfaction and customer outcomes. 'It's not about replacing people; it's about empowering them. Our staff are now spending more time resolving edge cases and less time correcting typos. That's where human judgment really shines,' Yamasaki explained. Beyond operational efficiency, the volume of data captured per submission has increased significantly, enriching insights available for better decision-making, audit trails, and pricing models. 'Being able to automate data extraction means we can now add several more fields into our insurance systems per claim,' shared Mohamad Bader, Senior Manager – Information Technology at Tokio Marine Insurance UAE. 'It's helping with compliance, forecasting, and tailoring our offerings better than ever before. The biggest change however is the elevation in customer satisfaction. Faster response times mean fewer follow-ups, and greater trust. People feel cared for, and that's what sets us apart.' In an era where digital transformation often comes with hype, Tokio Marine Insurance UAE's partnership with Kodak Alaris stands out for its tangible, meaningful results. It's a case study in how thoughtful use of automation and AI can not only solve business problems - but also make life easier for the people behind each policy. 'Technology is most valuable when it improves lives. With Kodak Alaris, we've built a bridge between operational excellence and human empathy. The company's solution enhances our human effort, makes our operations smarter, and most importantly, helps us take care of our customers better,' concluded Bader.
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
You get a better lifestyle and safety in UAE, says Moldovan expat
Dubai-based CEO Elvira Jain has been in the UAE for 12 years and like most expatriates, says time flies in the Gulf. After a high-flying career as a fashion model, Moldovan-born Jain now runs a communications agency, Ellyse Management. During her career she has boasted collaborations with prestigious brands such as Gucci, Dior and Armani, and now, she's turning her hand to entrepreneurship in the Gulf's fashion capital. If you had to use one word to describe money what would it be? Opportunity. If you had to write a letter to money, what would you say? Due to money we can have the possibility of travelling and having better education and health. It's not the same everywhere but in Dubai you need resources to survive. How would you describe your relationship to money? I respect money. You need to use money smartly. I don't waste money and I calculate well. I do have an economics background, so I try not to overspend. Sometimes it is tricky, because I do like to spend, but I think money comes to people who also respect it and use it in the right direction. Also having a business and having created it by myself, I calculate everything and make projections and budget. How do you think this relationship was formed? When I was in school, aged 7-8, my parents used to pay me for every highest mark I used to get at school and I used to keep the money in a book, so I was really motivated to get better marks and more money. I was also one of the best in class. What good or bad lessons about money management did you learn from your mother? My mom sometimes tends to overspend and sometimes not spend much on unnecessary things so I try to also evaluate if it's worth to spend or not but sometimes is difficult. Who do you speak to about money matters and is it something you consider 'taboo'? I don't consider it a taboo. I can speak to my parents, my husband, and my kids . It cannot be a taboo since it is part of our daily life. Who has taught you the most about financial management? I learned a lot from my parents and from my husband. What do you think has been the most profound experience you've had so far in relation to money, good or bad, and what has it taught you since? When I used to travel as a model in different countries, they gave you a weekly allowance and you had to manage it. This taught me to spend only on what I really needed to. How do you think living in the UAE has changed your relationship with and perception of money? I can say that to live well you need money. The equation of money and income (in the UAE) is different compared to European countries. You get a better salary but then you also have to spend more on rent and monthly expenses. But of course, you get a different, better lifestyle and most of all, the UAE is the safest country to live in. If you could give your child or your younger self one piece of advice about money now what would that be and why? Spend only on what you really need because money comes to those who respect it. What do you value spending money on? It depends on what I need at that moment. I do like to pamper myself so there are also some spendings that we can't avoid as ladies. Do you long-term plan your finances, and if so, how? I like investing in real estate. What is your long-term goal or dream which is pegged to your finances? I wish to have a lot of properties in different parts of the world How much do you save each month? Since I'm a business owner, the income might vary, so savings are different. But I try to have a savings account and a different current account. How much do you plan to have by the time you are 65? I can't give a number because depreciation of money is real, so what might seem a lot now might be much less in the future. I try to think 100 times before investing so it's tough to say.
