Silicon Park to set global benchmark for tech solutions

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), an integrated free zone technology park, has announced its participation in a four-day roadshow in India during the last week of April 2019.

Organised by DSOA, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a non-government and non-profit business association that aims to play a proactive role in India’s development, the high-level promotional event will serve as a platform for DSOA to discuss current investment opportunities with Indian investors, managers, business and management consultants, entrepreneurs, chartered accountants and industry experts.

The roadshow will visit Bangalore on April 25 and 26, 2019, and New Delhi on April 29 and 30, 2019. The DSOA trade mission will hold a half-day conference on the first day in each city to introduce Dubai and DSO, update the audience on the latest statistics on FDI growth in the emirate, and present case studies of successful entrepreneurs that have benefited from the free zone’s conducive environment.

On day two in each city, the delegation will attend B2B meetings with key decision makers representing businesses that are looking to expand into the Mena region. In addition, it will visit the offices of leading technology companies and government bodies with the aim of boosting economic relations between the UAE and India.

The delegates will outline the procedures for setting up a business at DSO, and provide a general overview of the growth prospects and benefits that operating from the integrated hi-tech park brings.

Furthermore, the DSOA trade mission will showcase its landmark project, Silicon Park, the first integrated smart city in Dubai that sets a new global benchmark for smart technology solutions. Scheduled for handover in Q2 2019, Silicon Park will comprise 71,000 square meters of office space, 25,000 square meters of commercial space, and 46,000 square meters of residential area. The community will feature a host of value-added contemporary lifestyle facilities, such as restaurants, cafés, fitness centers, running tracks and cycling trails, a shopping centre, and an underground parking that can accommodate more than 2,500 cars.

Dr Juma Al Matrooshi, Deputy CEO for Operations and Client Affairs at DSOA, said: “Today, India is the largest trade partner of the UAE, and bilateral trade is on track to exceed US$100 billion by 2020. As part of its visit, the DSOA delegation to India aims to strengthen cooperation, exchange experiences with local Indian companies, and present the new investment opportunities as well as the unique services and facilities DSOA offers foreign companies.”

Al Matrooshi added: “Through a clear understanding of diverse markets – both within India and elsewhere around the globe - DSOA endeavors to provide startups with access to world-class infrastructure and allied services to help them establish a significant presence in the GCC region, and expand to the wider Middle East region.”

All companies registered with DSOA benefit from the advanced facilities and the prime location of its integrated technology hub that have made it the preferred choice of investors setting up business in the UAE. DSO also offers a range of multi-use warehousing and manufacturing facilities, executive offices, and land for industrial development.

As part of a free zone, investors also have various licensing options, ranging from trade and service licenses to industrial licenses. In addition, they have access to all the elements a business needs to develop and thrive, including 100 per cent foreign ownership, 100 per cent repatriation of capital, among many other value added proposition.

DSOA ended the fiscal year 2018 recording Dhs576.9 million in revenue while achieving a 42.1 per cent increase in net profit. The free zone is currently home to 2,620 companies of varying sizes and their 40,000 employees. Eighty-one per cent of these companies specialize in technology, while 19 per cent focus on commercial services and other service sectors.

A wholly owned entity of the government of Dubai, DSO operates as a free zone technology park for large enterprises as well as medium and small companies looking to set up their offices in Dubai.

Earlier, DSO hosted its first quarterly ‘Dtec Forum’ of 2019 to highlight the role of public relations (PR) and communication strategies in generating optimum exposure for startups.

Themed ‘From Startups to Business Giants: Driving your Business Strategy with Comms and PR’, the session guided emerging entrepreneurs and founders of startups on best strategies to connect with their stakeholders through the use of public relations tool and techniques.