Dubai International Financial Centre, the leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, is continuing to prioritize digital adoption and transformation to enhance connectivity and accessibility in and around the financial hub. The new introductions to the infrastructure will further enable ease of doing business to and from the center, demonstrating DIFC's understanding of the need to provide even greater convenience for the companies based in the center. A core component of the transformation will be the launch of next-generation Wi-Fi 6 in partnership with Huawei on Nov. 1, 2019, offering the fastest WLAN technology to date. The new solution will be deployed across the public areas in the DIFC, reinforcing the Centre's position as the most advanced financial hub in the MEASA region. As the DIFC looks to triple in size by 2024, the launch of Huawei's Wi-Fi 6 will help the Centre meet its growing connectivity requirements, ensuring its community has access to the latest technology and network, with the capacity to support innovative smart services. Peyman Al Awadhi, Senior Vice President – Official Spokesperson at DIFC Authority, said: "Connectivity is the key to every aspect of infrastructure development in the DIFC – we connect our community, physically and digitally, in the same way we connect the various facets of a financial ecosystem. With the rapidly evolving demands of professionals based in and visitors to the Centre, it's our responsibility to ensure we are offering the latest technological services. We are incredibly pleased to be launching Wi-Fi 6 in partnership with Huawei and believe it will be a game-changer for the DIFC community." Wi-Fi 6 is the fastest WLAN technology to date and powers enterprises forward by dramatically boosting capacity and slashing delay. Its deployment allows a new and improved user experience in dense deployment scenarios compared to that of previous Wi-Fi generations. The network offers four times the system capacity of Wi-Fi 5, four times the concurrent access, and 60% lower transmission latency. Wi-Fi 6 enables ultra-high bandwidth 4K and ultra-HD video conferencing, as well as fast, seamless roaming, and ultra-low 10-millisecond latency for quick VR response. Dongyue Ouyang, MD of Huawei Enterprise UAE, said: "We are pleased to partner with DIFC on this first of its kind project in the region. The Wi-Fi 6 project is the backbone for expanding the ICT capabilities to match the fast growing needs and demands of DIFC customers. This Wi-Fi would power DIFC forward by boosting network capacity. This is Wi-Fi for lots of bandwidth and great user experience, and we are confident to have Wi-Fi 6 become a mainstream technology in the market over the next 5 years. Early adaptors will definitely benefit from new emerging and advanced services that would be an added value to their customers." Complementing the Wi-Fi 6 launch is the DIFC Connect – HID Mobile app, which is designed to enable greater convenience for the Centre's community and visitors. With features such as digital ID cards and access control, users will be able to connect with one another at the click of a button enabling ease of doing business, while still adhering to protected security controls. Earlier in 2019, a Pulse Report commissioned by Headspring, the executive development joint venture of the Financial Times and IE Business School in partnership with DIFC, cited that 66 percent of senior executives in the Middle East believe digital adoption and cybersecurity are their greatest business challenges. Accessibility, transport and infrastructure have proven to be a great strength of DIFC, as noted in the September 2019's Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), which saw Dubai soar to the number eight position representing its highest ranking to date. Dubai's connectivity is a significant factor, enabling organizations to seamlessly service business opportunities locally and in the wider region from the Centre. DIFC's commitment to digital adoption will allow the Centre to expand and diversify, supporting the latest phase of an ambitious expansion project that will see the Centre triple in size and back Dubai's mission to become a major economic force in the Middle East. — SG
