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Abu Dhabi /Â WAM
More than 120 government employees and managers, as well as top-tier experts from the private sector, attended a workshop on Future Planning for the Abu Dhabi Digital government.
The workshop was hosted by the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) a government agency responsible for developing and managing the ICT sector in the UAE, which enlisted 40 different government entities for the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Rashed Lahej Al Mansouri, Director-General of ADSIC, said, “Forecasting the future is now a critical task for governments in their efforts to coordinate between the private and public sectors to remain on top of the rapid changes taking place all around the world, and to propose solutions for the challenges of the future. Therefore, we must move away from conventional thinking, and diligently work to anticipate the future and develop proactive strategies to face the challenges brought about by our shift towards digitisation.”
He explained that the centre has set an ambitious agenda to usher in a new era that is defined by innovation and creativity, an era where decision makers proactively anticipate trends, opportunities, and challenges. This, he said, will help the emirate formulate sound strategies and to set the foundations for the digital and future industries in Abu Dhabi.
Abdul Karim Al Raeesi, ADSIC’s Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, said, “We made sure to use the workshop as a platform to address important topics, and to map out the scenarios that are now an integral part of government activities. This allowed participants to address these scenarios, which helped us deliver on one our main objectives, to enable government departments to use future-planning tools and benefit from the opportunities that the new digital world affords.”
Over the course of two days, experts took turns presenting their forecasts for the future of the ICT sector. The workshop tackled many important topics, mostly revolving around ways to implement cutting-edge technologies to improve government. The list of topics included “Government in 2020 – The Future of Government”, the future of construction and the role of the private sector, technology and the future of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the impact of the main trends in the ICT sector, the shift towards digitisation, Blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and perspectives around digital government.
The workshop hosted a number of sessions to train participants from government entities to use sophisticated instruments to understand and prepare for global trends, challenges, and opportunities. Participants also learnt to formulate scenarios, predict strategic opportunities, and propose short, medium, and long-term digital solutions to guarantee a bright future for the emirate.