HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced the opening of the Smart Mall in four Dubai Metro stations namely: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Station, Damac Station, Dubai Internet City Station and Emirates Towers Station. The move stems from RTA keenness and Dubai efforts to rank Dubai the smartest city in the world.

“The Smart Mall concept rolled out by RTA in collaboration with Etisalat is the first of its kind worldwide enabling Dubai Metro commuters a smart shopping experience via an interactive, high-definition 3D digital screen spanning nine square meters. It enables two persons to process their purchase transactions at a time,” said Al Tayer.

“The expansion of the Smart Mall initiative follows the success of the first experience of the project, which started with the selling of foodstuffs. More products will be added in the following phase such as clothes and electronics. Two smart screens (kiosks) offering the same services would be in place to provide privacy to clients. In the Smart Mall, the customer can choose from the items on show by adding them to the shopping cart. Then, the customer can pay for items selected using a credit card, and the goods would be delivered at the time & place specified by the customer. RTA is considering other payment options such as NOL cards or mobile phone (Etisalat balance)," explained Al Tayer. 

Salvador Anglada, Chief Business Officer at Etisalat, said, “Digital & smart technologies pave the way for future life patterns of people in the UAE. We are proud of our excellent partnership with RTA in launching Phase II of the Smart Mall project following the success of the initial phase. Such a success is an outcome of the huge investments made by Etisalat in upgrading a digital environment that contributes to a positive transformation in the daily lifestyles of individuals, and brings back a value added to users of our networks & reliable digital services.”

“Etisalat and the RTA would continue working together to develop creative services & solutions capable of building a sophisticated smart structure and empowering the digital future we are looking forward to. Dubai is a city characterized by a quick tempo that is evident in the daily hectic life of people. In this regard, the Smart Mall project fits well with the quick life trends through capitalizing on the technological advancement of Dubai city. It enables individuals to shop on the go rather than set a time for grocery shopping. Such an exercise makes life easier after a busy day and avails people a time to use in other more important affairs. Thanks to our long experience in (Trolley.ae), the first online grocery shop in Dubai, we will contribute to empowering the Smart Mall to deliver best-in-class services and provide thousands of options & products," added Salvador.