On the 3rd of December 2013, the ‘UAE National Brainstorming Session’, a nation-wide technology led citizen engagement initiative, was launched by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum over the social media platform Twitter. This initiative was unprecedented, both in the manner in which it was conducted through the use of social media and in the scale of the response it generated. 
 

The objectives of this initiative were twofold: to encourage citizens to engage with their government through a new medium – social media, and to gain feedback on how to improve the country’s  ducation and healthcare sectors. The brainstorming session generated just over 82 thousand submissions. These submissions were then discussed at a UAE government retreat, where all members of the Cabinet of Ministers congregated to evaluate the outcomes of the session and see how the ideas generated could be put to practical use. 
 

This paper serves two purposes: Firstly, it documents the UAE brainstorming session from the reasons for its inception to the effects it aims to achieve . Secondly, it sets out a series of policy recommendations based on the session that serve as a point of reference for future citizen engagement initiatives of a similar nature

Introduction
 
  Mr. Maniyan Nayakam Pillai, the Managing Director at Wellcare Infotech L.L.C.1 which was founded in 2007, as one of the leading IT Services and Advertising Provider in Dubai with a well experienced team of professionals focused on IT infrastructure management, software services and large format printing solutions, and custom designs. At Wellcare Infotech, it is considered as the total IT Services Company with standards based delivery framework and partnerships with global leaders with an experienced management team and has a track record of consistent growth and financial performance.
 
Case Presentation
 
Maniyan discussed that a business philosophy is not just a set of traditional fancy business terminologies by which the company is run by. He saw that the business philosophy is more as a deep-rooted system of the core beliefs that provide that rationale and purpose of having the business in the first place; this notion is in alignment with the views of other academic researchers2,3. Lionel viewed that Business Philosophy as the strategic map and blue print to guide that employees towards meeting the goals and exceed clients’ and business partners’ expectations to some extent. Maniyan focused on three key areas, where firstly, people are critical. He values that employees’ competencies and development are critical for continuing enhancement of skills and being updated with the latest certifications which in turn provides best practices in the long run.
The second element is technology, where having the partnerships with technology savvy leaders, in addition to having superior IT infrastructure solutions that is, the vast of IT technology and services. Continuous Improvement in productivity and improving customer service and satisfaction as the processes is the third key element of the Wellcare Infotech Business Philosophy. All of these three elements are geared to one common goal of attaining the high customer satisfaction, in turn improving the customer loyalty and its retention as well. Maniyan’s expected strategic goal is to become one of the top five (5) pioneers by 2015 in digital and full IT infrastructure solutions in the UAE and Middle East at large. 

What makes a city “smart” in the digital age? How can a complex urban fabric develop intelligence that drives planning, decision-making and positively affects the lives of its population? What ingredients—be they organizational, technological, cultural or regulatory— enable a metropolis to re-invent its model of operating and achieve sustained developmental strides? In short, how can a local government build a “smart city” and generate public value? In exploring these questions, this study provides an in-depth analysis of the critical first phase of Dubai’s mega-transformation into a smart city.

Dubai’s stated objective in building the smart city is to improve the quality of life and raise the levels of public “happiness”. Its vision is not just to be the “smartest” city in the world by 2017, but also to be one of the “happiest” places on earth to live and work. Achieving these two ambitious goals requires addressing numerous organizational, technological, cultural and policy challenges. This study analyzes these  challenges as well as the milestones reached, through tracing the paths taken by different stakeholders and documenting the multifaceted lessons learned. The findings provide ample evidence suggesting that the technological infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and organizational structures are now in place as critical foundations for building the smart city.

More importantly, indicators suggest that public value is being generated throughout the evolution of the project, which is potentially improving the quality of government. The "rst phase of the Smart Dubai’s journey has already triggered important cross-government cultural transformations. The government’s agility and its entrepreneurial approach enabled it to bridge entrenched silos, infuse a culture of openness and transparency, in addition to fostering a collaborative governance style. This mode of governance also created a shift in collective thinking across the government; in particular from its traditional sectoral view into a city-wide view, with people’s well-being and “happiness” at the center. Re!ecting on the lessons learned from Smart Dubai’s digital transformation will be critical for the next phase of its development. Moreover, studying the policy challenges, the barriers and the enabling factors in the city’s transformational journey provides timely insight to support wider regional urban development initiatives. Beyond the region, the experiences of “Smart Dubai” in digital-era urban development, and the way it manages—and measures—the accompanying socio-technical impact at a city level, also provide valuable policy learning opportunities at a global level. At this stage, the question then becomes: Had Dubai achieved its vision of becoming the smartest city in the world by 2017; going forward, what does the city need to do to maintain that status and ensure it remains one of the “happiest” cities to live and work? This question is explored here based on the rich findings of the study. 

Data Sharing Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), a research and teaching institution specializing in public policy in the Arab world, organized the fifth session of the Policy Council series convening industry experts from government entities, academia and the media to address the ethical and social implications and challenges of data sharing in the region and discuss policy and strategy options to safeguard against related risks.

Themed “Data Sharing: Implications and Challenges”, the fifth Policy Council session examined the importance of establishing an ethical and moral foundation for data sharing. The panelists outlined policy responses needed to limit and counteract risks of new data sharing technologies.

Furthermore, the outcomes of a survey conducted by MBRSG was also shared, it highlights various benefits of data sharing and identifies inequality of access to technology, as well as violations of privacy and breaches of security as primary risks of data sharing.

Highlighting the emirate’s goal to transition into a ‘Smart City’, Dr. Ali Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, said: “Dubai is well on its way to becoming a ‘smart city’ with an advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure. While Dubai’s digital infrastructure is still in the infantile stages, the emirate is prepared to adequately assess and address the ethical implications and social conceptions of data sharing and privacy to ensure that the emirate becomes truly smart.”

Steps have already been taken to encourage data sharing in the city, particularly through the recently announced Dubai Data Law 13, which aims to make it easier for public and private sector entities to access the data that they collectively produce.

The Knowledge and Policy Council provides insights and recommendations into areas that impact government performance, while enhancing personal and institutional communication to facilitate intragovernmental relations.