WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BRING CHANGE

Agile regulation

Strong regulation is required to promote fair competition, innovation and growth. The whitepaper recommends establishing a council that comprises local, regional and international regulatory bodies to streamline regulatory processes. It also strongly suggest launching more “sandbox free zones” and testing environments to positively impact the innovation and experimentation of regulations.

Harnessing 5G

The technology industry should collaborate with academia to showcase local business uses. It also stresses a need to maximise the benefits of 5G by investing in computing capabilities for optimum usage.

Retaining and attracting talent

The government must re- examine visa and work permit regulations to encourage longer term residencies which will help retain talent. Additionally, more must be done to support the long- term survival of tech businesses in the region, as many startups often operate under volatile environments. It is also important to reform curriculums to foster a more creative educational approach in schools.

Research and development

It is vital to provide incentives, such as tax relief, or matched funds for private investors to allocate a percentage of their budget to R& D. The UAE should also encourage collaboration between academics, industry.

The country should also cement its reputation as a safe place to innovate through rigorous policing of intellectual property protection. Finally, the government must also make early decisions that prioritize domains of expertise with relevance to the region.