DUBAI — Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Intel, one of the world's largest and highest valued semiconductor chip makers, to jointly establish a first of a kind lab facility in the Middle East, that will support the development of a smart city center of excellence and innovation within Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship center (DTEC), DSOA's wholly owned technology incubation center which is expected to be launched soon. The MoU was signed by Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DSOA and Taha Khalifa, Regional Director MENA at Intel. The signing ceremony was part of a bigger meeting that took place between multiple high-profile delegates from DSOA and Intel at DSOA HQ, and was followed by a tour of the lab premises. As a strategic partner of Dubai's smart city initiative and under the guidance and patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DSOA is mandated to provide a physical site to host the lab with the objective of developing a smart city center of excellence and innovation within a functional workspace fitted out with standard office equipment. Furthermore, DSOA will be responsible for supporting the lab's objectives through attracting the local innovation community in the UAE and engaging them to further develop their talents through a range of workshops and training components. Intel will be responsible for managing and operating the joint lab facility with a number of full-time employees. Intel will also provide all hardware, software and computing equipment and technology required for operating the joint lab. Additionally, Intel will be showcasing demos of relevant Internet of Things (IOT) technologies for both internal lab purposes and external visitor viewing purposes. Furthermore, the chip giant will be responsible for appropriate on-site tests and the development of several IOT platforms. Dr Mohammed Alzarooni said: “We are proud of our collaboration with Intel in developing a joint lab facility that will provide a range of services to support the local innovation community. The facility - which is the first of its kind in the Middle East - will also function as a platform to run proof concepts of smart city initiatives for any Dubai government entities or private sector organizations. The lab will also play a fundamental role in spreading the know-how and offering hands-on training through Intel's start-up kits that will be demonstrated to school and university students alike.” He added: “DSOA Smart City Committee met with Intel representatives on various occasions to explore new opportunities that would create a value proposition for both parties. We then worked on the initial MoU that will support DSOA's technology focus and ecosystem, while providing Intel with the space to share its expertise and reach the tech community in the UAE and wider region.” Taha Khalifa said: “The advances and initiatives that are driven in Dubai around smart cities are world leading and we are thrilled to be part of these leading projects. This innovative public-private collaboration will use Intel's IoT Smart City Demonstration Platform to further develop the government's vision for Dubai. As a technology company, we will leverage our expertise and advanced end-to-end solutions to enable efficient use of resources and realize the many untapped possibilities of the IoT. We're powering the IoT future and driving improvements in everything from air and water quality to transportation, communication, and energy management systems.” The Smart Dubai Initiative comprises six key dimensions – Smart Economy, Smart Lifestyle, Smart Transportation, Smart Governance, Smart Environment and Smart Generation – and relies on the three basic principles of communication, integration and cooperation. Through encouraging collaboration between the public and private sectors, the strategy aims to transform Dubai into one of the world's smartest cities over the next three years through the rollout of 100 initiatives and 1,000 smart services that improve the quality of life in the city. A wholly-owned entity of the government of Dubai, DSO operates as a free zone technology park for large enterprises, medium and small companies looking to set up their offices in Dubai. — SG
