Cisco Wins Tender To Develop ICT Masterplan For Dubai Design District

IT firm Cisco announced on Sunday that it has been awarded the contract to provide advisory and consultancy-led services for the upcoming Dubai Design District’s (d3) smart city project.

Under the deal, Cisco will provide an ICT masterplan for the district, the first phase of which is slated to open in Q1 2015.

As the greenfield site for Dubai’s Smart City initiative, d3 expects to launch 130 ‘smart initiatives’ over the course of its development, a statement said.

The d3 smart city strategy will be built around the six dimensions of the Dubai Smart City strategy – economic, environment, people, living, mobility and governance.

Rabih Dabboussi, managing director, Cisco, UAE, said: “Together with an ecosystem of partners, we have created a powerful, integrated platform that incorporates top technology, applications and business models to improve the way communities and cities are designed, built and run – from lighting to waste management, from parking and traffic services to safety and security.”

The d3 development, developed by TECOM, currently has 11 buildings under construction, and aims to become the home of the region’s design community when complete.

Facilities will include design institutes, residential, hospitality, retail and office spaces, public areas, unique street furniture and shaded walkways.

The development will also feature a Creek-side esplanade with international and boutique hotels, a pop-up shop area and amphitheater.

The first phase, worth Dhs4 billion, will include art offices and workshop spaces while the second phase will focus on the waterfront area, officials confirmed last year.

Announced in 2013, d3 has been positioned as a key element of Dubai’s 2020 vision, which aims to double the number of visitors to the emirate to 20 million by 2020.

It is also a vital part of Dubai Fashion 2020, an ambitious plan to develop Dubai as a global fashion hub by 2020.