Open, shared data to add $2.8bn to Dubai economy

Dubai / Emirates Business

Dubai Data held a press conference on Tuesday to release findings from the ‘Dubai Data Economic Impact Report’, which the Dubai Smart Office had commissioned to international audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG. The study provides the Dubai Government with insights into the potential economic impacts of opening and sharing data and includes a methodology for more rigorous measurement of the economic impacts of open and shared data, to allow regular assessment of the actual impacts in the future.
The study estimates that the opening and sharing of government and private sector data will potentially add a total of 10.4 billion AED Gross Value Added (GVA) impact to Dubai’s economy annually by 2021. Opening government data alone will result in a GVA impact of 6.6 billion AED annually as of 2021. This is equivalent to approximately 0.8% to 1.2% of Dubai’s forecasted GDP for 2021. Transport, storage, and communications are set to be the highest contributor to this potential GVA of opening government data, accounting for (27.8% or AED1.85 bn) of the total amount, followed by public administration (23.6% or AED 1.57 bn); wholesale, retail, restaurants, and hotels (13.7% or AED 908 million); real estate (9.6% or AED 639 million); and professional services (8.9% or AED 588 million). Finance and insurance, meanwhile, is calculated to make up 6.5% (AED 433 million) of the GVA, while mining, manufacturing, and utilities (6% or AED 395 million); construction (3.5% or AED 230 million); and entertainment and arts (0.4% or AED27 million) account for the remaining proportion.
This economic impact will be realized through the publication, exchange, use and reuse of Dubai data. The Dubai Data Law of 2015 mandates that data providers publish open data and exchange shared data. It defines open data as any Dubai data which is published and can be downloaded, used and re-used without restrictions by all types of users, while shared data is the data that has been classified as either confidential, sensitive, or secret, and can only be accessed by other government entities or by other authorised persons.
Her Excellency Dr Aisha bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office, said: “At Smart Dubai, we are not looking to simply keep pace with data-related projects taking place around the world, we are, instead, seeking to play a pioneering role in this sector, and setting the precedent and the example for cities around the world to follow. Our vision relies on gathering, securing, and disseminating open and shared data. This strategy stands to galvanise research and development, as innovators around the city work to find new applications for the data, offer better integrated services, and improve overall governance.”