Telecoms & IT

The emirate continues to benefit from well-developed telecommunications infrastructure with high penetration rates for both mobile and fixed-line services and a local population that is highly concentrated, tech-savvy, and global in both composition and outlook. With saturation rates reached in the local market, telecoms players are looking overseas for growth opportunities. The e-commerce segment is on a strong growth trajectory, with companies hoping to capture a share of the MENA retail market, which is set to reach $15bn by end-2015, up from $12bn in 2012. Online content streaming is becoming another important revenue generator. The launch of Dubai Smart City initiative in 2014 aims to complete the “third phase” of the emirate’s development, propelling it to be a leading global smart city as it integrates more than 100 initiatives and 1000 government services into a single platform.

This chapter contains interviews with Osman Sultan, CEO, du; and Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director-General, Dubai Smart Government.