Sharjah: The Sharjah Government Pavilion at GITEX Global 2023 received His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, H.E. Ahmed Tamim Al Kuttab, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Department of Government Support, H.E. Abdullah Khalifa Al Sabousi, Head of the Department of Islamic Affairs in Sharjah, H.E. Dr. Rashid Khamis Al Naqbi, Chairman of the Khorfakkan Municipal Council, H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Director General of the Department of e-Government in Sharjah, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, H.E. Mohammad Saeed Al Nuaimi, Acting Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment, and H.E. Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Sharjah International Airport Free Zone.

A Sharjah Mosque Tour via the Metaverse

The second day of the exhibition witnessed the inauguration of the pioneering Sharjah Mosque Tour by the Sharjah Islamic Affairs Department, leveraging metaverse technology to offer virtual tours of the Sharjah Mosque and its ancillary areas and hosted at the Sharjah Pavilion in Dubai World Trade Centre’s Arena Hall. Visitors can explore different sections of the mosque, akin to a museum visit, allowing for a detailed examination of exhibits. Access to this innovative service is available via the website or by using virtual reality glasses headsets.

Smart Municipal Services

At the pavilion, Sharjah City Municipality unveiled ‘Smart Detector,’ an initiative designed to proactively maintain public amenities and the overall aesthetics of the city. It employs cutting-edge camera technology to autonomously detect and record unauthorised posters, abandoned vehicles, and other infractions in line with Sharjah City Municipality's regulations. Upon identifying these violations, the cameras swiftly capture images, coupled with exact location details, which are instantly relayed to the control centre for prompt corrective measures.

Additionally, the municipality introduced the ‘Your Plans in Your Virtual World’ service an innovative, optional service — the first of its kind in the emirate. For a fee, this service allows landowners to better envision the potential of their private projects using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and wrist device, immersing users in a virtual setting where they can visualise and interact with their surroundings using sight and touch.

Smart Cities

The second day of the exhibition also included the hosting of three workshops. The first workshop, titled Digital City,’ was led by Mohamed Ismail, Director Channel and Alliance for the MENA region at H3C. The workshop focused on smart cities, delving into their key components and their profound effects across different sectors and addressed four core themes: the prerequisites for smart cities and how digital transformation bolsters urban facilities and services, the distinctive features of smart cities, strategies for enhancing urban life quality, and the impact of smart cities on the economy and infrastructure.

The second workshop, titled ‘Accelerating Government Digital Transformation with Artificial Intelligence,’ was conducted by Rashid Majid Al Abbar, Gulf Strategic Engagements & Partnerships Director at Oracle, who provided insights into how artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in enabling government entities to provide fast and effective digital services to their customers. The day concluded with a workshop presented by Vijith Kumar Nandanam, Director of Consulting & Sales (GCC) at SAP, titled ‘Cognitive AI Assistant for Governments - the Future of Technology.’

-Ends-