Dubai-UAE: 15 June 2021 – His Excellency Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), received His Excellency Ernst Peter Fischer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Arab Emirates, at DSOA’s headquarter building.

His Excellency the Ambassador toured Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), which houses regional headquarters for renowned multinational companies from different nationalities among them German companies, such as Porsche, Wacker Chemicals, Henkel, and Giesecke+Devrient, among others.

During his tour, the Ambassador was introduced to Dubai Digital Park (DDP), the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), and the new campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology-Dubai (RIT-Dubai), exploring the integrated free zone technology park’s advanced infrastructure. He also examined the advanced amenities at DDP that provide smart services to residents and visitors since the first smart city of its kind, built at an investment of more than AED1.5 billion, was inaugurated at the beginning of 2021.

His Excellency the Ambassador also introduced Mr. Anas Aljuaidi & Mr. Bernhard Randerath, the co-CEO of the Emirati-German Institute for the Emirati-German Fourth Industrial Revolution. His Excellency Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni was delighted to welcome the initiative to robust the strategic and economic relationship between the two countries.  His Excellency Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni was also invited to the upcoming inauguration of the Emirati-German Institute scheduled on 2^nd July 2021 in Aachen, Germany.

Having recently completed phase one of its construction, Ambassador Fischer also visited the new state-of-the-art campus of RIT-Dubai, the technology-focused American university in DSO, and toured its innovation labs.

Competitive Edge

His Excellency Ernst Peter Fischer lauded the UAE-German relationship, which keeps growing across disciplines. He iterated that the UAE has the competitive edge to attract German and international direct investments, especially in the sectors of advanced technology and renewable energy.

He noted that Dubai Silicon Oasis offers a solid technological infrastructure and a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and startups, who make up the essence of the digital economy, new job opportunities, and enhances the flexibility of economic sectors to resume sustainable growth.

Continuous and Sustainable Growth

For his part, His Excellency Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni highlighted that Dubai successfully positioned itself as a global destination for technology companies, including German companies searching for an innovation-conducive environment.

He said: “Bilateral trade between Germany and Dubai reached AED24.6 billion in 2020 and will continue to grow given Dubai’s ease of doing business and flexible ecosystem. Dubai Silicon Oasis also provides numerous facilities to streamline business set-up and operations, attracting hundreds of international technology companies.”

Dr Al Zarooni reiterated DSOA’s commitment to provide a conducive environment for German and international companies to establish and expand their businesses in this region. He also emphasized DSOA’s commitment to embodying its appointment as a science and technology and knowledge hub – one of the five urban centers under the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan – to support entrepreneurial creativity and empower entrepreneurs to establish their innovative technology concepts.

Partnership

Dr Yousef Al Assaf, President of RIT-Dubai, accompanied the German Ambassador to the UAE on his tour of the new RIT-Dubai campus at DSO. He noted that the university is keen to bolster its status as a strategic partner, alongside innovation labs and technology development companies, employing the latest technology advancements to boost human knowledge and uplift quality of life in future societies.