UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today attended the signing of 12 Memorandums of Understanding between Area 2071 and various local and international partners. Area 2071 seeks to find innovative solutions to current and future development challenges faced in a number of sectors. This is part of the UAE Centennial 2071 mission to make the UAE one of the most advanced countries in the world by 2071.
At the event, His Highness said, “We launched Area 2071 to provide a zone dedicated to innovation and the industry of the future. Today, 12 agreements were signed with various partners in 11 vital sectors. Area 2071 will see specialised labs and partnerships between governments and global tech leaders, who will work together to design the future.”
He added, “Our goal is for the UAE to become a world-leading hub for designing the future; Area 2071 will be the most developed and influential area dedicated to that vision.”
An Area for Innovation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurated Area 2071 in Emirates Towers last year, announcing that it will be a space dedicated to labs working to design the future in order to meet the UAE Centennial 2071 goals. This is part of the UAE’s mission to adopt an integrated, modern and accelerated development strategy covering the various development sectors in the country within the next five decades. The strategy seeks to meet its targets by 2071, the 100th anniversary of the UAE’s federation.
Area 2071 will be the first of its kind in the world, and will serve as an incubator for the future, with global companies, services and laboratories coming together and integrating their efforts to develop innovative solutions and adopt new technology to meet future needs. Think tanks and labs will tackle challenges in various development sectors to accelerate their progress, and to provide a pioneering model for tackling these challenges for both the region and the world.
Partners for the Future
Several entities today signed Memorandums of Understanding with Area 2071, including the United Nations; Pfizer, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world; Proctor & Gamble; Ernst & Young; the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation; the Dubai Department for Economic Development; Pico Capital; Genco General Contracting; IBM International; E11; 1776; DP World and Wamda Capital.
Area 2071 currently includes the UAE’s Government Accelerators, which were established in 2016 as part of the government’s mission to intensify efforts and accelerate government work by addressing the challenges facing various public sectors. Area 2071 also includes the Dubai Future Accelerators, which are part of the Dubai Future Foundation, and which seek to develop an innovative system that links government entities in the UAE with the most important international experts in order to best serve the various vital sectors in the country. The Youth Hub, one of the world’s best centres for youth under the age of 30 to work and develop innovative ideas, is also part of Area 2071, as is Services 1, a model for the future of government services wherein a single visit and/or one consolidated payment can work across all government sectors.
Vital Sectors
In light of the signing of the Memorandums of Understanding, several key challenges in various sectors will be explored, including in aviation, transport and logistics, health, retail, consumer goods, technology and more, adding up to over 11 sectors.
Area 2071 will seek to attract more world-class institutions, specialised laboratories, research centre and creative people including scientists and researchers, to develop innovative solutions to development challenges facing the UAE and the world. The Area will seek to help humanity as a whole by providing a model, developed by the finest minds, experiences and resources in the world, to face the most pressing humanitarian challenges and build our future societies.