Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 20 | Page 7

NEWS UAE Summit will highlight transformation of Abu Dhabi into a smart city Advanced Conferences and Meetings is launching the Abu Dhabi Digital Transformation Summit on November 13 to 14 2017. momentum to improve government performance, optimise service delivery and transform the emirate into a truly Smart City. This specialised summit in Abu Dhabi will focus on utilising innovative global solutions to advance government integration, automation and performance. • Abu Dhabi continues to position itself as one of the leaders in digital transformation in the era of smart government. The announcement last year by the Abu Dhabi E-Government Supervisory Committee and the Digital Transformation Leadership Team, demonstrates the intention of the Government of Abu Dhabi to increase Integrating smart technology in the UAE Government • The UAE government target is to complete 100 smart initiatives and 1,000 smart services by the end of 2017, many of them will be in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre introduces the Abu Dhabi Smart Government programme and Government Data Exchange programme which will see a million dollars worth of investment in smart technologies to raise productivity, enhance the quality of life and strengthen the positioning of Abu Dhabi as an investment and business destination. The Abu Dhabi Digital Transformation Summit is will support this effort by providing a platform for government authorities leading this drive to interact and engage with key industry partners, stake-holders, local and international ICT experts, to demonstrate thought leadership and present case studies on the latest trends and global best practices that will drive the digital government transformation strategy and agenda. Flying taxis to be trialled in Dubai Air taxis capable of flying passengers without a pilot will be trialled in Dubai later this year. Trials of the autonomous aircraft are to take place in the final quarter of the year following an agreement between the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and German company Volocopter. Its two-seater AAT, which is quickly rechargeable, can reach speeds of up to 100kph with the ability to fly for up to 30 minutes at any one time. HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roads and Transport Authority, said the taxis are capable of carrying two people and will help Dubai become the world’s smartest city. He said the move needs to be seen in the context of RTA’s efforts to provide more self-driving transport in the city with Dubai aiming to make one quarter of journeys autonomous by 2030. www.intelligentcio.com The air taxi is powered by electricity and operates to a high safety standard. It can transfer passengers from one site to another without the need for a pilot. The board of directors of RTA visited a number of autonomous aircraft producers and Volocopter was chosen because of its high-quality design and safety record. If the trials are successful a legislative and operational framework will be developed in conjunction with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. INTELLIGENTCIO 7