WeGO’s global expansion through strategic alliance with UAE 

ABU DHABI, May 10th –The Middle East is witnessing an increase in the development of smart cities, as they are heavily investing in various initiatives geared towards making their urban areas smarter. To get on board the latest areas in smart city development, WeGO’s visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai targeted strengthening relations with stakeholders in the UAE. 

In a bid to expand regionally, a bilateral meeting was held with Abu Dhabi Municipality to explore collaborations with WeGO in linking up with smart cities in the Middle East. Significant connections lie with Abu Dhabi as this city is one of the founding members of WeGO, H.E. Omar Al Nuaimi, Director General of Corporate Affairs at Department of Municipalities and Transportation, Abu Dhabi welcomed the WeGO delegation to the city and shared great expectations for collaboration including expressing interest in running for WeGO’s Regional Office. 

One of the top smart cities in the UAE, Masdar City, and its representative, Ahmed Baghoum, Chief Executive Officer, was open to cooperation with WeGO to connect with smart cities in the Middle East. Masdar City is Abu Dhabi’s planned city project, an ambitious project with the goal of achieving complete self-sustainability and environmental friendliness through the elimination of waste and emissions, making it a prime example of a smart city.

WeGO’s regional expansion stretches further in the UAE due to the potential partnerships in Dubai as well. For creating closer ties, bilateral meetings were held with the Dubai Municipality, represented by Ahmed Al-Badwawi, Director of Excellence and Knowledge Department, Sana’a Al Alili, Director of the Urban Planning and Quality of Life Department, and Asmahan Al Zarouni, Director of Digital Transformation Department. The Dubai Municipality expressed interest in joining WeGO as a member and sharing Dubai’s innovative smart city initiatives through applying to Seoul Smart City Prize. Another contender in broadening relations in the UAE and expressing interest in applying to the prize was with Expo City Dubai, Nadia Verjee, Executive Director. 

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), represented by Managing Director & CEO, Saeed Mohammed Ahmad Al Tayer, presented the “Smart Living Initiative”, that can monitor water and conserve their consumption easily and make smart decisions for a happier life. The high-tech monitoring system was an excellent demonstration of Dubai’s smart city development.

Various initiatives aimed at developing smart cities are becoming the center of attention in the Middle East, leading to an upsurge in the development of smart cities. WeGO aimed to gain higher global presence by enhancing its ties with stakeholders in the UAE during the trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the goal of keeping in line with the newest projects and advancements in smart sustainable cities.

About WeGO

The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), is a membership-based international association of local governments, smart tech solution providers, and institutions committed to the transformation of cities into smart sustainable cities through facilitating public-private partnerships (PPP). WeGO was founded by 50 member cities in 2010 as the World e-Governments Organization, hence our acronym. In response to the evolving concept of smart cities, WeGO expanded its vision and mandate at the 7th General Assembly (2017) and its name to the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization. WeGO’s Secretariat is based in Seoul, Korea, and has regional offices in East Asia (Chengdu, China), the Mediterranean (Beyoglu, Turkey), Africa (Abuja, Nigeria), Middle East & North Africa (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Latin America (Cuenca, Ecuador), and Central Asia (Almaty, Kazakhstan). As the leading platform on smart city development, WeGO’s mission is to share knowledge and good practices in e-Governance; strengthen administrative efficiency and transparency; advance digital capacity; facilitate civic involvement; bridge the digital divide and inequality; and promote cooperation solidarity among cities and local governments around the world.

WeGO serves for its members as their international platform to improve the quality of life, innovate in the delivery of public services, and strengthen regional competitiveness.

Press Contact:
Name:  Jin Hwang
E-mail: jin.hwang@we-gov.org
Phone: 02-720-2931