Law to protect data
In an initiative to protect data and promote transparency, Dubai has launched Dubai Data Policies. The new policies will provide a framework to help entities provide valuable data and govern a seamless data exchange between private and government sectors.
dubai — Dubai Data Establishment — an affiliate of Smart Dubai — has launched the Dubai Data Policies, in collaboration with Dubai’s Supreme Legislation Committee (SLC).
The policies are the second most important pillar of the data initiative following the Dubai Data Law, launched in October 2015 to guide a comprehensive data system and govern the collection and exchange of city data.
The new policies, announced on Monday, will provide a framework to help entities provide valuable data and govern a seamless data exchange between private and government sectors. The policy will provide safe access to main records and archives, data published or exchanged to serve electronic and smart services, highpriority data that will help accomplish government initiatives or allow digital transformation, and data required by more than one entity in Dubai.
Developed with a number of government and private sector partners, the project will focus on five policies to support the sharing of data: Data classification, data protection, intellectual property rights protection, data use and reuse, and technical standards.
According to the Dubai Data Economic Impact Report prepared by KPMG, the economic impact of data is expected to reach Dh10.4 billion per year as of 2021.
The same report revealed that by sharing 100 per cent of government data, Dubai stands to generate an additional value of $6.6 billion.
Younus Al Nasser, CEO of the Dubai Data Establishment, said: “The aim is to protect data, which is the cornerstone of smart cities of the future, and facilitate the use of Artificial Intelligence that will be the foundation of all services, sectors and future infrastructure,” he said.
Al Nasser added that the framework will add transparency to using open and shared data.
Through the new project, he said Smart Dubai will encourage more participation of the private sector to expand the database that could be available for public use. It will open doors for government, the private sector and individuals to use data quickly and efficiently.
“There are many researchers, academics and universities who need access to data, and we work on facilitating their access to it to build a sustainable society,” he said.
The new policies outline a set of provisions for the classification, publishing, exchange, use and reuse of data, as well as protecting the privacy of data and individuals, and protecting copyrights.
Ahmed bin Meshar Al Muhairi, secretary-general of the SLC, said the policy is a key pillar in the efforts to enhance capabilities related to the dissemination, transmission and exchange of data.
“Data is the fuel of the future and is considered to be at the core of intelligent transformation,” he said.
He added that the new policy complements Dubai Data Law. — sherouk@khaleejtimes.com