Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) and Orange Business Services – a network native digital services company – have collaborated to develop a cutting-edge smart cities virtualisation App that will enhance the city management services delivered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE. The bespoke App, ‘IoT Cockpit’, provides visualisation via an immersive, interactive user interface for the city authorities monitoring elements of the urban landscape. Orange Business Services’ co-innovation approach supports ADM’s vision for Abu Dhabi and its five-year smart cities plan to achieve sustainability and enhance the quality of life for citizens and residents.

IoT Cockpit is now being rolled out by ADM and Orange Business Services in the UAE and was showcased at the 10th World Urban Forum hosted in Abu Dhabi (February 8-13) which was co-sponsored and organised by ADM along with UN-Habitat – the first time that an Arab country has hosted the world’s most important conference on cities and human settlements. The forum was jointly inaugurated by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, His Excellency Falah Al Ahbabi.

With the bespoke ‘IoT Cockpit’ city management solution, connected objects and tangible objects are virtualised, enabling ADM to see, interact with and manage the smart utilities network across the city, including water, electricity, and fibre, as well as visualising the situation on the ground, at key points. For example, IoT Cockpit allows the municipality to see whether street lighting is working correctly, and whether public transport is operating normally, enhancing control over vital elements of the city.

Rayan Mohammad Almohaisen, IT Project Manager, Abu Dhabi Municipality, comments: “Orange Business Services is supporting ADM’s plans to deliver a range of projects and initiatives across Abu Dhabi, from public parks to public infrastructure that will build and shape the living experiences in one of the world’s developing smartest cities. ADM is keen to promote effective collaborations that deliver innovations through strategic partnerships with leading private sector companies, such as Orange Business Services.”

Sahem Azzam, Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Orange Business Services, adds: ”Sustained innovation is the lifeblood of the smart city and our collaboration with ADM on ‘IoT Cockpit’ is a great example of co-innovation – a bespoke city management solution developed in the region and for the region, where we have a strong focus on the smart cities opportunity. The UAE is a test bed for smart cities innovation and leads the way in not just adopting but also developing new solutions that are transforming cities, such as Abu Dhabi. The scale of the region’s smart cities ambition is matched by the vision, leadership and resources needed for success – and the commitment to innovation to drive new business models and new thinking in the smart city.”

Over the last 10 years in the Middle East, Orange Business Services’ regional team has focused on smart cities with tailored solutions for some of the region’s most high-profile smart city developments, including in Saudi Arabia at The Digital City – ITCC; The Royal Commission at Yanbu; King Abdullah Financial District; King Abdul Aziz Road; Jeddah Economic City; and Al Widyan; and in the UAE, at Dubai Silicon Oasis development, where Orange Business Services launched the regional innovation hub and smart cities showroom – the regional centre of excellence for smart cities – in 2017.