Cisco has announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates (TRA) to accelerate digital adoption and boost co-operation for the UAE’s digital future.
The MoU is a key addition to Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme in the UAE, which aims at building and enhancing a strategic relationship with the national leadership, industry, and academia to help accelerate the national digitisation agenda.
“Developing the UAE’s digital infrastructure is one of the government’s major drives. It is closely aligned with the leadership’s directives to provide a favourable environment for technological development that enables future solutions, while contributing to the objectives of the national agenda and the UAE Vision 2021,” said Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA’s Director General.
Al Mansoori added: “The MoU between the TRA and Cisco represents our interest in fostering the relation with globally leading partners to accelerate smart transformation in government work and in life on a wider scale. The public-private partnership is an imperative factor in ensuring the success of our strategies for the future, as we are working together to set the scene for the application of IoT, and the concepts of Artificial Intelligence.”
Chuck Robbins, CEO and Chairman of Cisco, said: “Cisco is proud to support the UAE’s efforts to transform into a digital economy. Working together, we will help create an ecosystem for innovation and job creation, and we look forward to many more years of co-operation and collaboration.”
Shukri Eid, Managing Director – East Region, Cisco Middle East, said: “The UAE’s Vision 2021 connects Digital Transformation and technology innovation to outcomes that are truly relevant for society, such as quality of life and happiness. At Cisco, we are proud to work with the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority and contribute to the acceleration of the UAE’s national digitisation plans. We are confident that our co-operation will result in world class references for digital innovation.”
Key focus areas
Under the framework of the MoU, TRA and Cisco selected specific focus areas, in line with the UAE’s national priorities. These are key contributors to the UAE economy and include smart and lean government, tourism, smart districts, trade and logistics, healthcare and energy. Cisco will work with the TRA to develop technology projects and demonstrate the value of digital adoption in these areas. The aim will be to realise the benefits of wider digital adoption for the UAE’s citizens and the UAE’s growing economy.
To help accelerate Digital Transformation in these key sectors, TRA and Cisco plan to work on several key initiatives, including:
- Talent development via Cisco Networking Academy: Providing citizens and residents of the UAE access to unique learning and career paths for digital age jobs, such as data science, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity
- Business innovation: Through cultivating a sustainable eco-system and creating innovation exchange programmes which seek to improve the lives of urban citizens
- Digital infrastructure and cybersecurity: Creating a resilient foundational infrastructure and helping the UAE build the needed capabilities to protect its critical national infrastructure.
