How Dubai is Becoming a Smart City?

Abstract

According to the United Nations cities populations are in raise. While in 1950 only 30 percent of the world population used to live in cities, in 2014 it increased to 54 percent and it is predicted 66 per cent of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050. Urbanization has caused a number of social, economic and political challenges for the governments to resolve and one viable solution was to become a smart city by adopting technology in different aspects of city affairs to streamline public services and engage citizens in decision making. Enhancing the quality of life of its citizens, improving economic competitiveness, and offering a sustainable environment for overall growth and development were among other objectives of smart cities. The Emirate of Dubai, within a short span of time, managed to place itself the leading smart city in the Middle East but can Dubai narrow the gap with the world class smart cities like Singapore or Seoul? What are the challenges and how Dubai can overcome them?