Nedaa, the Dubai Government’s security networks provider, has signed an agreement with Finnish multinational ICT giant Nokia designating Dubai as the headquarters of their pioneering Innovation and Creativity Lab.
In December 2016 and Nokia formed a strategic partnership to develop the lab as a key contributor to Dubai’s ‘Smart City’ initiative.
The region’ s first-research and innovation hub will introduce creative solutions for education, health, utilities and transport. It will work alongside local government agencies, the Smart Dubai project, educational and healthcare institutions, and private companies involved in the development and implementation of Smart City applications.
A key stipulation under the Nedaa-Nokia agreement is the Emiratisation of all positions and the training and qualification of employed UAE Nationals to international standards.
Mansoor Bu Osaiba, CEO, Nedaa, said: “Now we can start following our cooperative roadmap with Nokia to help accelerate Dubai’s transformation into a truly Smart City.
“We will be bringing top Emirati talents onboard in keeping with the UAE’ s vision of empowering its citizens to proactively participate in key sectors such as information and communications technology (ICT) that will underpin the country’s transition to a Post-Oil Era.
“We look forward to commencing the lab’s operations within the next few months.”
Amr El-Leithy, Head of Middle East and Africa, Nokia, said: “After months of scouting we now have a worthy base of operations for our Innovation and Creativity Lab from where we will partner with Nedaa to innovate Dubai’s ICT landscape.”
