Latest news with #HamadAlMansoori
Khaleej Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: Cities must involve private sector, have fair principles for AI growth, says official
Cities need to have lean regulations and must encourage innovative solutions to have the right setup for artificial intelligence, a Digital Dubai official said. Hamad Al Mansoori, the director general of Digital Dubai, was speaking in a session about building 'AI-first Nations' on the inaugural day of GITEX EUROPE x Ai, taking place in Berlin from May 21 to May 23. He said that cities need to have 'AI principles" which must be 'lawful, fair, unbiased, accountable, privacy-preserved, and robust". To build successful AI-operated cities, Al Mansoori said that there needs to be key elements. The first, he explained, is creating the right regulatory environment. 'You need to have a lean regulation, encourage innovation in the city, and make sure that you have the right setup for AI to operate,' he said, calling this one of the most complex challenges cities face today. Secondly, cities must focus on quality and collaboration with the private sector. 'What we are offering here is sharing any regulation in the city with the private sector,' Al Mansoori said, explaining that sometimes those principles might clash due to the private sector's business model. He explained, '[Cities] need to be smart and start with simple regulation until it can sustain the main principle of AI, which is privacy. This is one of the most important things.' The third element is the formation of a dedicated AI oversight body. This entity would monitor the AI environment in the city, carry out benchmarking exercises, and respond to feedback or complaints from both the private sector and government departments. 'It's important that your principles remain agile and smart, so that the talent and innovation in your city can thrive," he noted. Al Mansoori emphasised that as AI continues to evolve, cities must stay flexible and collaborative, not only adapting regulations but also benchmarking internationally and working closely with other governments. 'You always have to make sure that your principles are agile and smart, to make sure those people with that talent can sustain in your city." he said.
Arabian Business
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Digital Dubai chief: ‘Nationwide AI initiatives key to innovation' at GITEX Europe
When asked about the single most important factor for countries aspiring to become AI leaders, 'If I could pick one [key factor], it is to launch AI initiatives on the nation level,' Hamad Al Mansoori, Director-General of Digital Dubai, told a panel at the inaugural GITEX EUROPE technology exhibition in Berlin on Wednesday. 'Everything will be solved after you see this kind of initiative and the government support for it, because the government wants to go to that direction, towards an AI-enabled city or country,' Al Mansoori said during the 'Building AI-First Nations' panel at Messe Berlin, where the Dubai-born tech exhibition is making its European debut after previous expansions into Africa and Asia. The Digital Dubai chief described a fundamental shift in how humans and machines interact that is driving technological change. 'The world is witnessing a fundamental shift in the relationship between machine and human,' he said. 'In the past, we needed to understand machine language and technology language in order to be able to use it. Today, technology can understand humans.' Dubai's recipe for AI success The UAE has emerged as a major investor in AI technologies, with Digital Dubai overseeing more than 130 initiatives, including an AI roadmap and ethics toolkit. Al Mansoori outlined four key elements nations need to establish for AI development: clear AI principles covering fairness, accountability and privacy; engagement with the private sector on regulations; a dedicated regulatory body; and the right environment for talent. 'We always implemented privacy in the design,' he said regarding data protection. 'If you would like to share your data, make sure there's no private data in that sharing or you get permission for private data.' Although Dubai has emerged as one of the most sought-after destinations for tech talent, the Director General still acknowledged that attracting AI talent remains challenging. 'I think this is one of the most complicated subjects,' he said. 'One is to create the right environment and lean regulation in the city and make sure that you have the right setup for AI in order to operate.' 'Launch AI initiatives but accept failure' Additionally, he emphasised that government leaders must be prepared to accept failure in digital transformation efforts. 'We need our leaders to launch the initiatives and also accepting failure if there's any failure in digital transformation. Your government and parliament should support your thoughts and beliefs when it comes to AI,' he said. The UAE regularly collaborates with countries including China, the United States, Estonia and Singapore, Al Mansoori said, sharing best practices and sometimes developing regulations that apply across the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Other panellists offered contrasting approaches to AI development. Robert Somogyi, Chief Operating Officer of the Hungarian Innovation Agency, emphasised the importance of education and cultural acceptance. 'Next to education, I think we have to believe in it,' Somogyi said. 'If you believe in something, you can see it, the mentality.' Stefan Badža, Chief AI Advisor to the Serbian Prime Minister, highlighted his country's focus on education, noting that Serbian schools have taught coding since 2017 and AI since 2021. Serbia chairs the Global Partnership on AI this year, representing 44 countries. 'For us, it is important to allow innovations to develop, and then afterwards to take care of all the details,' Badža said, advocating for more flexible regulation than the European Union offers. 'We want to really have equal playing field for local countries regarding developing the technology.'
Emirates 24/7
12-05-2025
- Business
- Emirates 24/7
Dubai launches Shared Digital Channels Initiative
- Dubai launches Shared Digital Channels Initiative, advancing integrated user-centred digital governance - Government services to be provided through seven specialised and unified platforms - Platforms include Dubai Now for individuals, Invest in Dubai for businesses, Visit Dubai for tourism, and four sector-specific platforms covering transportation, justice, construction, and trade Abdulla Al Basti: The Shared Digital Channels Initiative reflects Dubai Government's commitment to delivering a seamless, integrated digital experience through dedicated platforms Mattar Al Tayer: The Shared Mobility Channel, the unified platform for city mobility services, offers seamless access to all mobility-related services Helal Al Marri: The launch of the Shared Digital Channels Initiative marks a strategic leap forward Hamad Al Mansoori: We are advancing the development of shared digital channels guided by a well-defined roadmap, to enhance their impact in simplifying people's lives and driving the digital economy, while harnessing the latest emerging technologies. Marwan bin Ghalita: Shared digital channels play a vital role, facilitating access to services in a coordinated and seamless manner Saif Al Suwaidi: Dubai, which has long excelled in this area through its pioneering journey, is now advancing to a new and advanced phase through this initiative Sultan bin Sulayem: Unifying service and digital experience channels is essential to accelerating economic activity in Dubai Dubai has launched the Shared Digital Channels Initiative in collaboration with various government entities, marking a transformative step towards a unified, user-centric digital government model. The initiative aims to simplify access to services for residents, businesses and visitors through seamless, integrated platforms. The launch took place in the presence of His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, and His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai. \This milestone follows the approval of the initiative by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, in February 2025. The initiative envisions the provision of government services through seven specialised and unified platforms: Dubai Now for individuals, Invest in Dubai for businesses, Visit Dubai for tourism, alongside four sector-specific platforms covering transportation, justice, construction, and trade. Digital Dubai is leading this initiative in line with its mandate to oversee Shared Digital Channels. The initiative supports the city's strategy to digitalise life and strengthen Dubai's position among the world's top three cities in digital, human-centred service delivery, and contributes to achieving the goals of the 360 Services Policy by transforming service delivery channels into 100% unified and integrated platforms. On this occasion, His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, affirmed that the government work system—guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council—places the customer at the heart of comprehensive and continuous development. This is achieved through the design of proactive service experiences that anticipate future needs and meet evolving expectations, reinforcing Dubai's position as a global leader in government services. His Excellency added: 'The 'Shared Digital Channels' initiative, approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed earlier this year, reflects Dubai Government's commitment to delivering a seamless, integrated digital experience through dedicated, round-the-clock platforms—cementing the emirate's status as a global hub for technology and innovation in service of people and in attracting high-quality investments.' Commenting on the initiative, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), stated: 'Digital channels have become the primary means through which customers access a wide array of government services and process their transactions. This underscores the critical importance of developing shared digital platforms and advancing integration among government entities. Customers increasingly perceive the government as a single, connected entity capable of fulfilling their needs through one or a small number of unified platforms, without the need to navigate multiple channels and service windows.' He added: 'The Shared Mobility Channel, Dubai's Unified Gateway for City-Wide Mobility Services, ensures seamless access to all modes of transport, whether public or private. Mobility services remain a cornerstone of government offerings with public transport, shared mobility, and taxis serving 747.1 million riders in 2024. The city is home to 2.5 million registered vehicles, while nol cards have surpassed 39 million in circulation. The new platform enhances the customer experience by providing streamlined access to both government and private sector services through a single, intuitive interface that supports integration and leverages emerging technologies.' His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: 'Dubai's digital transformation reflects the foresight of our leadership and the clarity of vision that has consistently placed our city ahead of global trends. This journey is not only about adopting technology—it is about creating time, building trust, and unlocking opportunity at every level of society and the economy. 'The launch of the Shared Digital Channels Initiative marks a strategic leap forward—ensuring that government services are not only world-class in functionality, but seamlessly integrated into daily life, fully aligned with the leadership's ambition for a digital- first, human-centred future'. 'As we advance the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, our focus remains on creating systems that are intuitive, scalable, and responsive—designed to enable businesses to grow faster, residents to enjoy greater convenience, and talent to thrive in an environment defined by innovation. This is how we reinforce Dubai's position as the global epicentre of opportunity, and the best place in the world to live, work, and build the future.' His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, commented: " Digital channels have consistently been a key driver of our success in recent years, an achievement made possible by the collective efforts of all stakeholders. Inspired by our leadership, we believe that every success should serve as a stepping stone towards even greater progress. Today, we are called to innovate and introduce initiatives that drive a transformative leap in Shared Digital Channels, reinforcing the vision of a fully integrated digital lifestyle. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, we can deliver services and digital city experiences that are proactive, predictive, and seamlessly integrated." Al Mansoori added: "We are currently advancing the development of Shared Digital Channels guided by a well-defined roadmap, to enhance their impact in simplifying people's lives and driving the digital economy. Our goal is to capitalise on the technologies, ideas, and accumulated expertise at our disposal, while creating new solutions and initiatives that position the shared digital ecosystem as a flagship initiative of the next phase of transformation. This will simplify people's lives and propel the digital economy forward in support of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. I am confident that what lies ahead will exceed all that has come before, driven by the enduring spirit of collaboration and unity that has always defined our journey—and will continue to guide us into the future.' His Excellency Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, highlighted the importance of shared digital channels in building a comprehensive digital ecosystem. He stated: 'Today, Dubai — guided by the vision of its leadership and the collaboration of its institutions — presents to the world a model of future cities that inspire and delight both residents and visitors, offering an attractive environment for living, working, and investing. Shared digital channels play a vital role in this context, facilitating access to services in a coordinated and seamless manner through integrated data exchange within an interconnected government framework. We are confident that enhancing this experience will mark a significant shift in service delivery across Dubai, capitalising on advanced digital technologies and the extensive expertise of Dubai's skilled workforce in various sectors.' His Excellency Prof. Saif Ghanem Al Suwaidi, Director General of Dubai Courts, affirmed that the shared digital channels add a vital dimension to the quality of life in Dubai. He stated: 'The ease of access to services is a key criterion for modern and future cities. Dubai, which has long excelled in this area through its pioneering journey, is now advancing to a new and advanced phase through this initiative. This step is a clear expression of the leadership's vision and proactive efforts to anticipate and shape the future in a manner that serves people across all sectors — with justice and judiciary at the forefront, benefiting from cross-sectoral integration within a unified and comprehensive government system.' His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World, stated: 'Unifying service and digital experience channels is essential to accelerating economic activity in Dubai. It streamlines processes, saves time and resources, and drives greater efficiency and productivity across sectors. At a broader level, this milestone enhances Dubai's attractiveness to investors by providing a robust and supportive ecosystem for economic and commercial growth. Developing the Shared Digital Channels Initiative is a key priority, and we are fully committed to contributing meaningfully, in line with our role in enabling and facilitating trade and commerce across Dubai.' His Excellency added: 'The unified logistics and trade channel marks a significant advancement in strengthening Dubai's competitiveness in the cross-border trade and logistics sectors. This can be accomplished through collaboration between government agencies and private sector companies and establishing a comprehensive digital ecosystem that covers every stage of commercial and logistical operations within a unified framework. This initiative supports the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to increase the emirate's external trade volume over the next decade to AED25.6 trillion, while reinforcing Dubai's position as one of the world's top five logistics hubs.' Approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan, the initiative represents a significant milestone towards building a future-ready digital ecosystem for the city — one that improves quality of life, attracts global enterprises, and fosters innovation in service delivery—creating smarter, more seamless digital experiences that simplify life for individuals and businesses alike. The initiative aims to deliver personalised, proactive services by creating a unified digital customer profile across platforms. It aims to streamline user journeys through process optimisation, offering seamless and interactive experiences. It focuses on integrating public and private sector services, ensuring full interoperability across digital channels, while maintaining the highest standards of cybersecurity and data governance. The Shared Digital Channels Initiative is envisioned to set a new benchmark in customer experience—offering high-quality, accessible, and frictionless digital services powered by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. This initiative supports the development of an exceptional digital service ecosystem, making it easier for all user segments to access a wide range of services. Ultimately, all services provided by the Government of Dubai will be delivered through these seven unified channels—eliminating the need to navigate multiple platforms or providers. Other key objectives include enhancing operational efficiency, promoting sustainability by optimising resource usage, eliminating redundancy, and leveraging data-driven insights to anticipate trends, address issues proactively, and streamline service delivery. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Arabian Business
11-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai launches shared digital channels initiative for unified government services
Dubai has launched the Shared Digital Channels Initiative in collaboration with various government entities, creating a unified, user-centric digital government model. The initiative aims to simplify access to services for residents, businesses and visitors through integrated platforms. The launch event was attended by Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) reported. Dubai government services to consolidate under seven specialised platforms This development follows the approval of the initiative by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, in February 2025. The initiative will provide government services through seven specialised platforms: Dubai Now for individuals Invest in Dubai for businesses Visit Dubai for tourism Four sector-specific platforms covering transportation, justice, construction, and trade Digital Dubai is leading this initiative as part of its mandate to oversee Shared Digital Channels. The effort supports Dubai's strategy to digitalise services and strengthen the city's position among the world's top three cities in digital service delivery. 'The 'Shared Digital Channels' initiative, approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed earlier this year, reflects Dubai Government's commitment to delivering a seamless, integrated digital experience through dedicated, round-the-clock platforms—cementing the emirate's status as a global hub for technology and innovation in service of people and in attracting high-quality investments,' Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai said. 'Digital channels have become the primary means through which customers access a wide array of government services and process their transactions. This underscores the critical importance of developing shared digital platforms and advancing integration among government entities. Customers increasingly perceive the government as a single, connected entity capable of fulfilling their needs through one or a small number of unified platforms, without the need to navigate multiple channels and service windows,' Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) added. 'The Shared Mobility Channel, Dubai's Unified Gateway for City-Wide Mobility Services, ensures seamless access to all modes of transport, whether public or private. Mobility services remain a cornerstone of government offerings with public transport, shared mobility, and taxis serving 747.1 million riders in 2024. The city is home to 2.5 million registered vehicles, while nol cards have surpassed 39 million in circulation. The new platform enhances the customer experience by providing streamlined access to both government and private sector services through a single, intuitive interface that supports integration and leverages emerging technologies,' he explained. Digital Dubai leads major government services integration initiative The initiative aims to: Deliver personalised, proactive services through a unified digital customer profile Streamline user journeys through process optimisation Integrate public and private sector services Ensure interoperability across digital channels Maintain high standards of cybersecurity and data governance Eventually, all Dubai Government services will be delivered through these seven unified channels, eliminating the need for users to navigate multiple platforms. The initiative also focuses on enhancing operational efficiency, promoting sustainability by optimising resources, eliminating redundancy, and using data-driven insights to anticipate trends and streamline service delivery.
