Shaikh Mohammed launches new vision for Internet City

The anniversary ceremony was held at the same location where 15 years ago Shaikh Mohammed launched his original vision for Dubai Internet City.

Photo: Shihab/Khaleej Times

Dubai: A new vision for Dubai’s internet and media zones with major investments in innovation was launched today by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to mark the 15th anniversary of Dubai Internet City.

The new vision will establish Dubai as an international capital of innovation and a magnet for talent.

The innovation projects announced will cost Dh4.5 billion over five years and include 10 million square feet of space for innovation complexes, technology laboratories and smart buildings. Other initiatives include business incubators and financial funds to stimulate innovation.

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Also read: Dubai Internet City, 15 years young

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“Dubai Internet City has supported the transformation of our national economy into a knowledge economy. We have kept pace with great changes in technology. Now the time has come for Internet City to become a creator of change,” said Shaikh Mohammed.

The anniversary ceremony was held at the same location where 15 years ago Shaikh Mohammed launched his original vision for Dubai Internet City.

“The future will belong to those who dare to take new paths. Recently we announced a national vision and a strategic plan on innovation, because this is how we will unlock added value for our nation. Today we announce a new bundle of initiatives that will make us the innovation capital for more than two billion people who live in the region around us,” Shaikh Mohammed said.

The projects are designed to create an integrated system of innovation platforms and an ideal smart environment that will attract the best talent from inside and outside the UAE. There will be innovation complexes and incubators for emerging ideas as well as technology laboratories and smart buildings in Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City. The platform will include direct links to financing and marketing channels.

Shaikh Mohammed’s vision includes encouraging young pioneers to commit themselves to innovative projects, adding value to the national economy and boosting the number of patents registered for the UAE. The plan aims to boost the number of companies in the content, knowledge, technology, education, development and research sectors to 10,000 and to grow the number of people employed in these areas to 100,000.

He also called on the private sector to contribute more to establishing the UAE a destination and capital for innovation. “Our innovation facilities will soon open their doors to every talented pioneers, whether they are from the UAE, from the Arab world, or any other nation around the globe. We will connect them with opportunity in the smartest innovation environment in the world,” Shaikh Mohammed said.

He added that Dubai Media City would witness tremendous changes during its transformation into a global hub for media and social media channels, attracting the best minds to develop new tools, create new content, conduct new research and develop new applications.

Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City are home to nine specialised business districts within six key sectors: information technology, communication, media, education, biosciences and content. Their sustained growth reflects the success of Dubai in providing an ideal business environment that stimulates the knowledge economy.

Dubai Holding’s Chairman, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, today confirmed that new projects representing a Dh 4.5 billion investment for Dubai’s Internet City and Dubai Media City will be completed within five years and will establish a global powerhouse for innovation, media and content.

The projects announced include 10 million sq. ft. of space for innovation complexes, technology laboratories and smart buildings. Such advanced infrastructure seeks to attract top global talent and create an environment that will nurture and support what will become the most productive and innovative environment in the world.

“His Highness had an insight. He foresaw the internet revolution in its earliest days, and it was that vision, which put our national economy on the path to become a globally recognised knowledge economy,” he said. “He chose a large site in, what was then just an empty desert space because he understood the scale of the technological revolution that would take place, and how much space it would need to grow.”

In choosing the location for Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, Shaikh Mohammed was mindful of relics showing it had actually been inhabited more than 3,500 years ago. Reflecting on a conversation with the Ruler at the time, Gergawi highlighted the words of His Highness: “This area has ancient history. Now we will write a new chapter for it.”

Gergawi also discussed the rapid pace of development over the last 15 years. These business zones have since grown from 100 companies to 4,500 companies, from a few hundred employees to more than 70,000 knowledge workers, and from a few thousand square feet to 6 million sq. ft.

Gergawi praised Shaikh Mohammed’s decision to locate the internet and media industries together and to treat them as a single economic sector. This helped establish the UAE as No. 1 in the region’s content industry, surpassing the traditional domination of the ancient Arab capitals.

Shaikh Mohammed’s new vision for Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City focuses on integrating these industries within the UAE’s national innovation strategy. This will be achieved through pioneering projects including business innovation incubators, new dedicated funds and smart laboratories.

These projects will also benefit other sectors that in turn add value to the UAE economy under Dubai Holding’s remit, such as ICT, Media, Education, Sciences, and Design.

“The media zone will attract the best talent in this field and develop new tools and applications by establishing an innovation culture,” Gergawi said.

“We will add real value to our national economy by developing education and knowledge across the content industry, as well as by supporting research that makes a real difference to people’s lives,” the Dubai Holding Chairman stressed.

Gergawi announced a range of immediate initiatives that are designed to speed up the transformation towards this new vision. A new fund will be established to support innovation-led projects, creativity and entrepreneurial ideas. Ten innovation incubators will be created across all of Dubai Holding’s relevant portfolio, including those related to the ICT, media, education, sciences and design industries.

Two further new projects will play vital roles in supporting the new vision.

The first, called “Innovation Hub” will function as an enabler for innovation, located in the middle of three business zones: Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village. Innovation Hub will incorporate five smart buildings with pioneering platforms, and aims to provide an encouraging environment that can grow and enhance an innovative culture. This will create a platform for individuals and companies to launch new ideas and technologies that can have a positive knock on effect on wider economy.

The second, Creativity Community, located within Dubai Design District, has a goal to inspire and encourage talent across various design fields. The Creative Community will provide unique facilities including showrooms, creative workshops, spaces for events and relevant service facilities.

“Today, Dubai Internet City has realised the dream of a visionary leader, which was set out 15 years ago. In the future, it will realise the dreams of tens of thousands of creative and innovative pioneers. As we realize this new phase of Shaikh Mohammed’s vision, we will step into a new age of innovation,” Gergawi said.

• UAE