‘Dubai Pulse’ Platform Rakes in 1.5 Million Visits from Around the World

Smart Dubai revealed that its flagship data platform Dubai Pulse – the backbone of the emirate’s smart transformation – has made a significant leap in terms of international appetite for the data it publishes, registering 1.5 million visits as of August 2019.

The increased interest from users around the world came shortly after Smart Dubai Data – the Smart Dubai arm fostering the city’s data ecosystem – launched ‘Data First, The City’s Data Challenge’ in July 2019, where various government entities compete in a race to accelerate their sharing of Open and Shared Government Data.

His Excellency Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General of Smart Dubai and CEO of Smart Dubai Data, said: “The spike in international interest in the Dubai Pulse platform is itself a significant accomplishment. It adds to the international attention our emirate has come to enjoy as it has been setting one precedent after the other across multiple sectors. This has prompted other cities around the world to take advantage of this access to our published data, to understand the catalysts behind Dubai’s success.”

“Furthermore, the growth in the number of visits reflects the maturity of Dubai’s experience in sharing and opening its data through the Dubai Pulse platform,” H.E. added. “It adds another milestone to the Smart Dubai Data’s track record, where we strive to implement our leadership’s vision to establish Dubai as a world leader in data – the oil of the future.”

“Data published by any city around the world would only enhance its competitiveness and attractiveness to foreign investment,” H.E. Al Nasser explained. “This transparency also serves to shed light on Dubai’s investment climate and opportunities, boosting the emirate’s appeal for business tourism and further establishing it as a champion of innovation in analysing and utilising data.”

“Data drives all strategies launched to enhance Dubai’s global image and soft power, showcasing the emirate’s achievements in every sector. It offers tremendous opportunities for Dubai’s citizens and residents, as well as anyone considering the emirate as a potential place to live and invest,” the Smart Dubai Data CEO concluded.

A closer look at the visitor activity on the platform reveals a particular interest in the Roads and Transport Authority’s data. The RTA came first with 29% of all views, reflecting the importance of this sector for visitors and residents of the emirate alike. The RTA’s data also accounted for 54% of all data downloaded from the platform.

Dubai Pulse now boasts 425 datasets out of a total of 2,000 that the platform is looking to add in the near future. The data includes holistic information on all vital sectors in Dubai, namely, business, the economy, education, the environment, finance, government policies, healthcare, housing, residency visas, security and justice, sports, and transportation (land and maritime).

The data is split into two categories: Open Data, which is available for everyone and can be accessed anytime and without restrictions. Shared Data, meanwhile, is provided by and for the various participating government entities. The private sector or the wider public can request a specific shared dataset; the requests are then processed and a decision is made based on the application. The largest volume of views for data came from outside the emirate – specifically from the United States. 

Dubai Pulse was designed to be the backbone of the Dubai’s digital transformation, where open and shared data would be put at the disposal of the city’s stakeholders to help generate insights, enhancing decision making for the government and private sector entities. Data plays a tremendous role in achieving Smart Dubai’s main objective to establish the emirate as the happiest and smartest city on Earth.