Sharjah Digital Department redefines digital governance

Inayat-ur-Rahman & Sajjad Ahmed

As the world’s most influential technology exhibition kicked off yesterday in Dubai, the spotlight once again turns to Sharjah, an emirate that continues to redefine the way governments connect, innovate, and serve their people.

At Gitex Global 2025, Sharjah Digital Department leads the emirate’s participation under the theme ‘Powered by Tech, Driven by People,’ presenting an integrated digital vision that strengthens Sharjah’s position as a leading hub for innovation, excellence, and human-centred governance.

Sheikh Saud Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General of SDD, emphasised that this year’s participation represents more than another milestone in e-government advancement; it is a testament to how collaboration transforms governance into a seamless, people-centred experience.

“Our participation at Gitex Global 2025 represents a clear message: that Sharjah’s digital journey is guided by people, powered by technology, and driven by collaboration. Every digital advancement we make aims to improve lives, enhance trust, and deliver a seamless experience for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.”

Through its leading digital platforms and integrated systems, SDD will showcase how Sharjah’s government entities work together to deliver unified, accessible, and secure services. This collaboration ensures faster, more transparent processes from business licensing and real estate services to community-focused initiatives that make daily interactions simpler and more efficient.

“Digital integration is not only a technical achievement but also a social one,” Sheikh Saud explains. “When systems connect, people no longer need to navigate complexity. That’s how technology truly serves, by removing barriers and empowering communities.”

Sharjah’s digital success is built on a strong technological foundation, advanced cloud infrastructure, secure data systems, and a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that protects information and ensures service continuity across all government sectors.

“Trust and security are at the heart of digital governance,”Sheikh Saud adds. “We continue to invest in data protection and digital awareness to ensure that Sharjah remains a safe, reliable, and future-ready digital environment.”

Collaboration remains a defining aspect of Sharjah’s model, with SDD working closely with public and private partners to co-create solutions using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics. These partnerships not only strengthen operational efficiency but also shape a forward-looking digital economy that aligns with national and global ambitions.

Looking ahead, Sharjah Digital Department remains committed to advancing digital integration across all sectors, ensuring that every innovation launched contributes to a more connected, sustainable, and people-focused future.

“Our goal is clear to make Sharjah a global benchmark for human-centred digital governance; an emirate where innovation empowers people, and technology becomes a trusted partner in everyday life.” ”Sheikh Saud concluded.

Juwai IQI forecast: Kashif Ansari, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Global PropTech. Juwai IQI revealed that Gitex Global 2025 and Expand North Star are expected to add Dhs3 billion boost to the UAE economy.

“Our base case analysis is that the initial economic impact of Gitex and Expand North Star 2025 will be more than Dhs1.3 billion,” Ansari added.

“Here’s how that maths works. We start with an estimate of 252,000 unique attendees and discount by 53%, based on the standard ratio of international to local conference attendees in Dubai. The internationals are the ones who spends the most, Dhs9,833 on average, according to data from the Government of Dubai.

“Multiply that estimated spending by the estimated international attendees, and you arrive at Dhs 1.3 billion (US$817 million).

“That number doesn’t account for any investments or memorandums of understanding announced during the events. Several ministries and companies have already announced they intend to sign sizeable agreements during the week, and these will add significantly to the total economic impact. We expect some announcements around the AI-driven government initiative, Dubai Police Tech, and digital assets and fintech, for example.

Dubai Is the Place to Meet Other AI Leaders

“Gitex Global and Expand North Star bring together more global industry leaders than any other events. Every tech exec. knows that this week Dubai is the place to be. You can meet with potential collaborators, partners, and customers in the AI space, quantum computing, alternative finance, climate and energy, and more.

“Dubai and the UAE have emerged alongside China and the USA as the third axis of AI investment and innovation, and that’s despite AI being only one of the fields in which Dubai is exhibiting technology leadership.

“There are no better examples of AI nativity than Dubai and the UAE. OpenAI and G42 have partnered to deploy generative AI tools in government, energy, healthcare, and finance across the UAE.

“Business leaders have questions because technology is changing so quickly. They want to know how to prepare their organisations for continued fast adoption of intelligence. How can they act as effective business leaders in that new world? How should they allocate capital and how prepare their teams for the new paradigm?

“These are the questions almost everyone attending Gitex and Expand North Star this week are asking themselves.” Ansari concluded.

Tealium supports data residency: Tealium is exhibiting at the Gitex Global 2025 in collaboration with AWS. This marks an important milestone in our regional growth, and we are pleased to be joining the AWS stand for a strategic partnership. This collaboration reflects our shared vision to support organizations across the Middle East in unlocking the full value of real-time customer data, said Jeff Lunsford, CEO of Tealium.

He added, “Since establishing our Middle East operations in Dubai in 2018, Tealium has expanded across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. We work closely with leading enterprises to unify fragmented customer data and enable real-time personalization at scale. The goal is to help brands create connected, relevant experiences powered by data they can trust.”

Lunsford explained, “As part of our deepening partnership with AWS, Tealium now supports data residency on AWS data centers in the UAE. This ensures that customers in the region benefit from localized storage, enhanced compliance, and improved performance. It also aligns with the UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the wider regional commitment to becoming a global leader in digital innovation and responsible AI.

Tealium’s AI Innovation programme further supports this vision. We recognize that finding success with AI requires experimentation and access to high-quality, consented customer data. Our platform provides that foundation, helping businesses accelerate AI adoption without incurring additional charges for data used in AI use cases. This removes cost and complexity, making it easier for organizations to innovate with confidence.”

Lunsford concluded, “As Gitex brings together the region’s most forward-thinking leaders, Tealium remains committed to empowering businesses with the data infrastructure they need to scale customer experience and AI transformation. Together with AWS, we are helping shape the future of digital engagement in the Middle East.”

Alteryx empowers enterprises: The UAE was among the first countries to launch a nationwide AI strategy, and its forward-looking policies, ranging from embedding AI in public services to the 1 Million AI Talents programme, are positioning the nation as a global leader. With AI expected to contribute over $100 billion to the UAE’s GDP by 2030, businesses are accelerating adoption at an unprecedented pace, said Karl Crowther, Vice President – MEA & APAC, Alteryx.

He added, “According to Alteryx research, nine out of 10 analysts in the Middle East, including 93% in the UAE, report that AI has significantly transformed their work in 2024. Our mission is to empower enterprises with accessible analytics that drive smarter, faster decisions, supported by a strong data-centric culture where continuous upskilling and partnership ensure AI adoption reaches every employee.”

Crowther concluded, “As Gitex brings together global visionaries to one of the key stages for innovation and collaboration, we look forward to sharing how organisations can transform data into a catalyst for growth and competitiveness.”

Snowflake supports startups: Gitex unites policymakers, businesses, developers, and startups, making it the ideal stage for Snowflake to demonstrate how a strong data foundation can drive economic change. Snowflake’s platform helps organisations turn raw data into actionable intelligence, automate processes, and build secure, governed AI products, said Mohamed Zouari, General Manager, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, Snowflake.

He added, “Through Expand North Star, we’re extending this impact to startups, giving founders the tools to scale on a trusted data foundation. With AI expected to add US$150 billion to the Middle East’s GDP by 2030, we are proud to help translate that potential into growth for enterprises and entrepreneurs alike.”

Kerno: The first days of Gitex Global 2025 saw a dynamic start for Kerno, the UAE’s first full-cycle server and data storage manufacturer. Visitors gathered at Booth H3-A15 to explore the company’s high-performance AI and universal server systems.

Throughout the day, guests experienced live demonstrations of Kerno’s Surface Mount Technology (SMT) machinery — operating in real time to showcase the precision and sophistication behind the company’s PCB manufacturing process. This rare, hands-on display allowed attendees to witness the craftsmanship and technology that power every Kerno server produced in Dubai.

Executives, engineers, and technology leaders from across the GCC visited the stand to meet the Kerno team, discuss AI infrastructure needs, and learn more about the company’s expanding server portfolio: UQLEAD AI Servers – GPU-powered systems designed for training and inference of large AI models; and OKAM Universal Servers – versatile, enterprise-grade platforms for virtualization, analytics, and data storage.

“Our goal is to redefine how AI infrastructure is built and deployed in the Middle East. By controlling every stage of the production process — from PCB design to performance validation — we ensure that each Kerno server meets the highest global benchmarks for reliability, energy efficiency, and compute density.” — said Tero Marjamäki.