His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, attended the launch of the Dubai Digital Twin Platform, which represents a new strategic milestone in the emirate's digital transformation journey. The launch, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, came amid the ‘Partners in Building the Digital Twin’ workshop organised by Dubai Municipality to review the project's applications and its role in supporting smart urban planning, decision-making, and enhancing Dubai's future readiness.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan emphasised that the Dubai Digital Twin Platform embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to leverage advanced technologies and data to build a smarter and more sustainable city. It also reinforces Dubai's standing as a global model for future foresight and digital transformation, aligning with objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and enhancing the emirate's global competitiveness. Among the attendees was His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State For Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.
Sheikh Hamdan said: “The Dubai Digital Twin Project reflects His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's vision of leveraging advanced technology and data to build a city that is better prepared for the future, while enhancing planning efficiency, informed decision-making, and quality of life. It marks a new strategic milestone in Dubai's journey to strengthen its position as the world's best city to live, work, and invest in, and as a global model for innovation and digital transformation."
His Highness added: “We continue to build an integrated digital ecosystem based on data integration, artificial intelligence, and high-impact partnerships between the public and private sectors. This will accelerate the development of innovative solutions that enhance Dubai's readiness for future changes, reinforce its global leadership in smart cities and digital transformation, and support a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy aligned with Dubai's ambitions for the years and decades ahead.”
Collaborative model
Sheikh Hamdan emphasised that the Digital Twin project reflects Dubai's collaborative model, founded on close cooperation between government entities and private sector partners, and on harnessing innovation and advanced technologies to deliver more efficient services, enhance quality of life, and solidify the emirate’s position as a global benchmark in building cities of the future.
During the workshop, His Highness reviewed objectives of the project's new phase and its practical applications in urban planning, infrastructure and asset management, rainfall simulation, and digital solutions that support decision-making and strengthen the city's readiness for future scenarios. His Highness also reviewed outcomes of the project's third phase, which witnessed 3D models of more than 195,000 buildings across the emirate being created in accordance with innovative standards, enhancing Dubai's capabilities in urban modelling and advancing its transformation into a smart and sustainable city.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between Dubai Municipality and Al-Futtaim Group and Huawei to support the next phase of Dubai’s Digital Twin ecosystem. The partnerships aim to strengthen collaboration in Digital Twin technologies, research and future foresight, while supporting Dubai Municipality’s efforts to expand practical applications of the Digital Twin platform across urban planning, infrastructure, operations, asset management and data-driven decision-making.
His Excellency Eng. Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: “The completion of the Digital Twin project represents a strategic milestone in Dubai’s journey towards building a smarter and more sustainable city. It embodies the leadership’s vision of leveraging advanced technologies and data to enhance government services, improve the efficiency of asset and infrastructure management, and elevate quality of life. This achievement is the result of integration and collaboration among various government entities and strategic partners.”
For her part, Eng. Maryam Al Muhairi, CEO of the Buildings Regulation and Permits Agency at Dubai Municipality, said: “The Digital Twin provides a comprehensive digital environment that unifies spatial and operational data within a single platform, enabling the simulation and analysis of future scenarios and supporting more efficient decision-making. The next phase will focus on expanding integration with partners and maximising the use of data to support vital sectors across the emirate.”
Integrated digital model
The Dubai Digital Twin Platform serves as an accurate virtual replica of Dubai, incorporating comprehensive data covering facilities, landmarks, infrastructure, master plans, buildings, and residential units, with continuous updates ensuring accuracy, reliability, and data integrity. The completion of the project reflects Dubai’s vision for anticipating the future and harnessing advanced technologies to build a smarter and more sustainable city, further strengthening its global leadership in these spheres while enhancing service efficiency and quality of life.
As part of phase three of the project, Dubai Municipality has also converted more than 280,000 infrastructure assets and more than 330,000 public facilities and assets into 3D models. The project now incorporates more than 1,500 geospatial data layers and over 100 two- and three-dimensional applications supporting a wide range of sectors.
