DUBAI, 10th July, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, today launched the Dubai Digital Cloud project during a visit to the Digital Dubai headquarters.
The project is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at creating a world-leading, efficient, agile and reliable digital infrastructure in Dubai.
During his visit, His Highness attended the signing of partnership agreements between Digital Dubai, Microsoft and Moro Hub – a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (PJSC) – to implement the Dubai Digital Cloud project. The initiative aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to reinforce Dubai’s position as a digital economy capital and further strengthen its robust and reliable digital infrastructure.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said Dubai is steadfast in its commitment to fostering excellence and innovation in the use of advanced technologies to accelerate Dubai’s digital transformation in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to turn the city into the epicentre of the global digital economy. Apart from supporting economic growth, Dubai’s accelerated digital transformation seeks to further raise the efficiency of government operations and the quality of life of people in the emirate.
His Highness expressed his appreciation for the commitment of various government teams working to advance Dubai’s digital development goals in line with the highest global benchmarks.
He said the growing pace of Dubai’s digital transformation has significantly boosted the performance of government operations. The city’s ability to provide citizens, residents and visitors with an exceptional digital experience has reinforced its reputation as the world’s best city to live, work and visit, His Highness added.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said: “Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the close guidance of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, we continue to work to strengthen the UAE’s global position as a leader in digital solutions. We are proud to be partnering with Digital Dubai to provide cloud services to government entities in Dubai through the Moro Cloud service, which has earned the highest local and international security standards and is managed by our highly qualified, internationally certified team.”
Al Tayer added: “Moro’s advanced digital services aim to support government and private organisations in their digital transformation journeys in the UAE and the Middle East. Moro Cloud helps accelerate this process while promoting innovation and reducing costs. It is managed through green carbon-neutral local data centres, which will help government organisations achieve their carbon neutrality goals.”
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “The Dubai Digital Cloud project is a practical application of our leadership’s vision to promote connectivity, integration, and a comprehensive digital government that ensures agility, speed, security, and competitiveness, allowing government entities to provide integrated, proactive, round-the-clock services. It marks a significant milestone on our journey to cement Dubai’s global status as a model city and an inspiring example of how digital transformation can be implemented to serve the community and the business sector.”
“Moreover, the project demonstrates the effective partnership and collaboration between the public and private sectors, which sets the stage for a holistic and integrated digital life for everyone,” Al Mansoori added. “It will also empower Dubai Government entities in their digital transformation, providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve their goals, and roll out cloud computing technologies to deliver best-in-class government services.”
The Dubai Digital Cloud project consists of multiple digital clouds designed to provide high levels of flexibility and operational efficiency, while offering the best solutions from private to public clouds.
It also includes multiple service providers, who will work to enhance services and boost their competitiveness, providing government entities with multiple service provider options.
The project aims to establish a world-leading efficient, reliable, and agile digital infrastructure in Dubai that leverages the most advanced cloud technologies and enhance the efficiency of government services by ensuring faster delivery, high quality and low operational costs. Additionally, it seeks to address information security risks by implementing strict cybersecurity standards and policies, creating an enabling environment to support Dubai’s digital economy and aid decision-making processes.
Marwan bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital DEWA, said: “We are pleased to partner with Digital Dubai on the Dubai Digital Cloud Project. Our objective is to empower government entities with cutting-edge capabilities that go beyond conventional boundaries and through this collaboration, we aim to unlock a myriad of possibilities that will help the public sector build an agile and scalable infrastructure.”
“We at Digital DEWA firmly believe in fostering sustainability as our Green Data Center embodies our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint and ensuring carbon neutrality,” Bin Haidar added. “This partnership with Digital Dubai will definitely achieve positive results by combining our expertise and resources at Digital DEWA and Moro Hub to enhance Dubai’s sustainability and digital transformation journey and solidify its global rank in digital solutions.”
Meanwhile, Matar AlHemeiri, CEO of the Digital Dubai Government Establishment, said: “With its vast portfolio of projects and strategies, Digital Dubai is committed to providing a stimulating and robust environment that supports the growth and development of Dubai’s digital economy. We strive to build constructive strategic partnerships with service providers, establish a robust and integrated digital infrastructure, leverage advanced technologies to enhance efficiency and speed of services, and maintain the highest standards of security and protection.”
Naim Yazbeck, GM of Microsoft UAE, said: “The cloud is a powerful tool for public sector organisations to transform their services, enhance their digital security, and empower their citizens. The cloud also enables organisations to access innovative solutions, including AI services, scale up or down as needed, and collaborate and share data across boundaries. At Microsoft, we are committed to providing our customers with the best-in-class solutions that are secure, reliable, and scalable through our advanced Azure cloud, and will continue to provide our customers, in the emirate and beyond, with the best and most advanced solutions.”
In an effort to achieve the project’s ambitious objectives, Digital Dubai signed its first agreements with Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions LLC), a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and Microsoft Corporation, and continues to collaborate and partner with other private sector stakeholders.
Under the terms of the partnerships, Moro Digital Data Hub is set to provide cloud services through its platform, Moro Cloud. Incorporating global best practices, the platform helps reduce overall costs of IT infrastructure in Dubai, and provides a system of emerging technologies and cloud services to support digital transformation.
Meanwhile, Microsoft and Digital Dubai will collaborate to support the project by leveraging the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform and providing platforms dedicated to government entities, in order to ensure the highest levels of security, governance and compliance with Digital Dubai’s policies and regulations. The two parties will also work together on a Digital Skills Program.
Through the project, Digital Dubai will work to empower government entities with tools, knowledge and best practices, in addition to developing policies and security standards for service providers and government entities, and authorising providers accordingly. It will also work to support government entities to prioritise the transition towards the Dubai Digital Cloud project and select service authorised service providers based on the requirements and objectives of each entity.