Fast TO LEARN

Surface Mobility Consultants has single handedly introduced AI, big data, and machine learning to Dubai’s transport and mobility sectors.

We are a consultancy firm that has exploited a niche in the market concerning the introduction of AI and machine learning into the transportation and mobility sector. We assist government and private entities prepare for these disruptive technologies in areas such as mobility integration, infrastructure implementation, and legislation and regulation. Dubai is a leader in the disruptive technology sector. While previously the idea was to identify the best options abroad and import them, over the past five years the emphasis has been on developing alternatives locally. Autonomous vehicles are a good example, where His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wants 25% of all vehicle trips in Dubai to be autonomous by 2030, which is an impressive KPI. Duly, we have established our company perceiving a gap in the market as the majority of transportation consultancies provide similar services as part of a wider remit, and few are as niche and as focused on what we do as we are. We are engaged in all modes of transportation and smart mobility apart from aircraft; however, we do cover a range of services within ground transportation in and around airports. So, trams, taxis, micro-mobility such as e-scooters, and other modes are within our range.

How are you advising on big data for smart cities?

We have a number of key projects such as the implementation of big data platforms. These platforms provide data from many sources such as cars, Google, population density, and GPS, and deposit it in a so-called ‘data lake.’ Then, we have a team of data scientists, data analysts, and transportation professionals who build models and implement and use cases to provide answers and a visual perspective of the data based on business requirements and client engagement. The beauty of big data is that you can take different data sets and implement it in different solutions for problems that you did not know existed. For example, we have tested different solutions that have helped us to reduce the idle time for taxis. Drivers can be notified about areas where there is more demand for taxis at a certain time, hence, improving the city’s public transport usage. That’s better than roaming around to get a ride which in turn increases delays and traffic. So big data can not only teach us a lot about transportation and people but also allow us to introduce more sustainable solutions for first- and last-mile travel patterns.

Autonomous vehicles need to be smart at all times so that they can predict and react according to human behavior. They must know where they are and what surrounds them to be able to have e-learning capabilities. The benefits are many, including the potential to reduce congestion and use of land for roads and parking spaces, and adopt a shared mobility functionality. We can also witness a decrease in the number of cars. What’s more, autonomous and electric vehicles can help us reduce our overall carbon footprint. It is still difficult to know exactly when this shift toward autonomous vehicles will happen, but Dubai and the UAE are already leading this transition. ✖

LOGISTICS CANNOT BE GENERALIZED,

which is why we have created specializations. We are currently witnessing huge growth in the healthcare, automotive, and chemical industries, as well as the fashion industry. The majority of clothes are manufactured in South Asia, as all the major brands have factories in the region. However, the current model these brands are using is ineffective as products are transported from Asia to the US, and then back to Asia. At present, we are assisting companies by using the B2C model with e-commerce. We are currently implementing this model in Sri Lanka and have high hopes for its implementation in Dubai. The challenges we face encourage us to innovate and engage in joint ventures, such as our recent partnership with Hellmann Indu Chemical Facility, which consists of a combined space of around 20,000sqm. In addition, our recent Gateway Sea project has successfully facilitated global production lines which use Dubai as a gateway to the Middle East and South Asia. Technological advancements have allowed us to implement an environment-friendly cooling system in the Middle East. Personally, I see blockchain playing a major role in our industry. There is currently a lack of transparency that cuts across various sectors within our industry and this is an issue that blockchain can solve. Big data is also important and the way it is used will change and undoubtedly lead to fundamental changes.

in 2014 as a concierge service. The original version was an app where you could place an order for whatever you needed, and then a driver would complete your errand. We catered to post codes in west London and realized over time that people were mostly using the app for food. We decided to enhance our app with a marketplace for all kinds of retailers, with a section of our app focused on food. In order to maintain the quality of service, we developed a dispatching system that manages the movement of couriers in an efficient way. We built a machine learning engine that analyzed a variety of factors to understand how long certain trips are going to take. This started off with simple algorithms that gave us around 60% accuracy. We then built our data science capability and introduced machine learning and AI, which boosted our accuracy to 92%. Our aim is to keep our couriers fully utilized while maintaining a best-in-class service. We can use our technology to solve much bigger problems; this is when we decided to launch in Dubai with the new business model serving restaurant and retail businesses. We started off with a small fleet and have grown it 25 times ever since. We try to absorb as much volume as possible from all kinds of retailers, restaurants, and grocers, giving all partners access to our sophisticated delivery fleet.

QUIQUP STARTED IN LONDON LOOKING AT DUBAI’S GEOGRAPHIC POSITIONING,

we are well connected to important emerging markets such as India and Africa by both sea and air. Furthermore, China’s One Belt One Road initiative will have a major impact here, and the UAE is working to ensure its relevance in China’s initiative. We will see China rival the US as a major global power, and we can position Dubai as the intermediary, especially from a technology standpoint. In 2018, we made an investment in a UK-based company that will make us a completely digital company in terms of how customers interact with us, book and track products, do returns, perform analytics, and so forth. In a year, we hope to become the first digital forwarder in the region. We are focusing on providing access to emerging markets. For example, we do a lot of e-commerce logistics in Nigeria and Kenya from Dubai. This is Dubai’s opportunity as we are well connected to these markets. Emerging markets prefer us rather than relying on shipping from China, Germany, or the US. In our business, wherever there is inefficiency and challenge, there is opportunity. RSA Global cannot compete in Germany because a transporter’s net margin in Germany is between 0.2% to 0.4%. This allows no added value without massive increments in technology adoption. Ultimately, it is best for us to enter emerging markets with creative solutions.