Page 82 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE Shows Far Higher Levels of Trust in IoT Tech Compared with European

Nations

The UAE has far higher levels of trust in Intelligence, the productivity benefits of revealed marked differences in perceptions
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, such IoT will be worth more than $370 billion about who should be trusted to look after
as smart home devices and wearables, per annum in 2025, representing 0.34% an individual’s personal data, with a
compared to Europe, according to research of global GDP, while IoT companies will majority of respondents in the UAE (46%)
commissioned by global Cybersecurity generate over $1 trillion in revenues by the placing responsibility on the government.
leader Palo Alto Networks. The research same year. Haider Pasha, Regional Chief This contrasted sharply with Europe,
shows that 71% of respondents in the Security Officer (CSO), Emerging Markets, where only 26% of respondents said the
UAE believe that IoT technology is secure, Palo Alto Networks, said: “The level of trust government should be responsible for the
compared to an EMEA average of just 38%. in IoT technology in the UAE appears to security of personal data. The UAE also
Of the European countries in the survey, be far ahead of the EMEA average. This is differed from Europe in perceptions of
Germany (53%), France (48%), and the UK very encouraging for the UAE, especially personal responsibility for the security of
(46%) had the highest levels of trust in IoT. in light of the country’s commitment personal data. While 45% of respondents
The proportion of Europeans who do not to harness the power of technologies in the UAE said that the individual should
trust IoT outweighs those who do, with including IoT and AI for economic growth be responsible for securing their personal
43% of European participants stating they and development. Continuing to work on data, the figure was significantly higher in
believe IoT tech is ‘not secure’ or ‘not at all maintaining this trust is vital to help this Europe, where 55% of respondents believe
secure’. This is in stark contrast to the UAE, technology reach its full transformative the individual should be chiefly responsible
where just 25% of respondents believe IoT potential,” Pasha added. The study also for the security of their personal data.
technology to be either ‘not secure’ or ‘not
at all secure’. The results of the survey are
likely to resonate in the UAE, which is keen
to utilize technology including IoT and AI to
help drive economic growth and prosperity.
In March, Dubai published its IoT Strategy
including a bold vision to build the world’s
most advanced IoT ecosystem in a bid
to improve people’s lives. The strategy
aims to protect Dubai’s digital wealth,
encourage government departments to join
the emirate’s smart transformation, and
achieve the objectives of the Smart Dubai
Plan 2021 to transition to a 100% paperless
government. The UAE population’s trust in
IoT, and the government’s technological
ambitions, also bode well for economic
growth and prosperity of the country, with
IoT set to play an increasing role in raising
productivity levels around the world.
According to a recent report from GSMA

MCIT Egypt to Construct Telecom Network for First Phase of New Capital

City

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications of the country’s proposed new capital infrastructure over a period of six months.
and Information Technology (MCIT) is city. According to Reuters the MCIT has Ahmed Zaki Abdeen, a retired general who
reportedly planning to begin work on the signed a cooperation agreement with heads the company building the new city,
construction of an EGP40 billion (USD2.44 the Administrative Capital for Urban was cited as saying that that ACUD is
billion) telecommunications network, as Development (ACUD,) the new capital’s providing the funding for the new network.
part of the first phase of development owner and developer, to begin work on the

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