Sharjah embracing a digital future

Sharjah - The emirate is leveraging the myriad benefits of digitisation through Sahab Smart Solutions’ seamless integration of data to manage and optimise Sharjah’s infrastructure

Sharjah, whose development goals have always been human-centric and environmentally responsible, is a leading example of a smart, digital city in the making, experts said.

Following a decree from Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, in 2017 to form the emirate's first Higher Digital Transformation Committee, the emirate has been focused on exploring, developing, and implementing leading digital solutions to streamline services to citizens, residents and visitors across Sharjah.

Experts at Sahab Smart Solutions, which partners with Sharjah government entities to help shape the emirate’s digitally powered future and execute projects to accelerate the development of its smart city solutions, noted that the digital transformation of Sharjah is coming not a moment too soon. Even before the Covid-19 crisis hit, businesses worldwide were realising that traditional business models were becoming unviable, given the rate of digital disruption. The pandemic just put this scenario on fast-forward mode.

Companies that were able to digitise and pivot are the ones leading the way out of this crisis, grabbing market share, and setting the pace for others. But simply rushing into it is not the answer, said Amin Al Zarouni, CEO, Sahab Smart Solutions: “It is only by investing in the tech, data, processes and people, will companies rise up to speed. They need to take the right decisions and be agile in applying course corrections based on what they learn.”

“At Sahab, we believe that digital transformation should begin with a transformation of the mindset. It is not just about getting access to the technology of tomorrow; it is about having a forward-thinking mindset and company culture. Digitisation is almost entirely ineffectual without the right outlook driving it to take advantage of the exponential benefits of such technological innovation. Today, going digital is the baseline of any company to remain profitable by ensuring it acquires the infrastructure to continue growing technologically,” Al Zarouni said.

An on-going project which Sahab was recently entrusted with by the Sharjah government, entails the conception and development of a world-class digital platform for the Sharjah Government, which will bring a wide range of business and public services offered by the emirate on a unified, easily navigable and user-friendly application.

Other projects include developing a centralised services management system for Sharjah Asset Management Holding that reduced its operating costs by 20-25 per cent; Sharrai, a marketplace platform with the objectives of redefining e-commerce in Sharjah, and which debuted its platform for the used car market at Souq Al Haraj, facilitating easy accessibility and interaction between buyers and sellers; a comprehensive user-friendly digital platform for Al Saja'a Industrial Oasis (ASIO) which helped it provide investors with easy access to the site plan and available provisions, streamline sales requests, exchange information, and facilitate CRM through proper monitoring and follow-up of investor requests; and Tahseel, an advanced electronic revenue collection system, for the Sharjah Finance Department.

Sahab has also developed an integrated strategy and performance management as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for Sharjah Media City (Shams); a very customisable, open-source e-platform that can cater to any learning requirement for the Sharjah Private Education Authority that has seen the delivery of more than 35 certified courses and will utilise AI to build a roadmap for learners in its next phase along with the launch of a mobile app; and an integrated digital business platform for Sharjah Civil Defense that allows the local public, including citizens, residents and companies to easily access all the services provided by the department.

Sahab is also in the process of developing of the emirate’s first e-commerce platform for Souq Al Jubail, one of the emirate’s largest fresh produce market, that will bring together the largest B2B and B2C suppliers of food products to present the widest choices from a variety, scale, cost, and volume perspective, for residents as well as bulk buyers in the emirate; as well as an innovation platform for the Innovation Committee in Sharjah.

Affirming Sahab’s role as one of the key architects who will support the shaping of a positive, fully digital future for Sharjah, Al Zarouni remarked: “We are looking at focusing resources on a strategic plan to enable a fully integrated smart city that will provide the very best services across the board. We intend to deliver user-friendly and seamless solutions, which will cater to every member of our society and economy.”

rohma@khaleejtimes.com