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As per the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and following the successful historic visit to India by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed forces, Dubai Holding has opened the Kochi Smart City project in Kerala, developed in collaboration with the Kerala state government.
The opening of the Smart City marks the growing ties of cooperation and historical friendship between the UAE and the Republic of India, and complements the successful visits of officials from both the countries, leading to the signing of a number of cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, had made a successful visit to the UAE in August 2015, during which he announced his intention to build 100 smart cities in India based on world class technological standards.
Commenting on the launch of the Kochi Smart City project, His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Future, and Chairman of Dubai Holding, said that Kochi Smart City project comes within the framework of strengthening partnership and cooperation between the UAE and the Republic of India in various economic and investment fields. HE Al Gergawi pointed to the successful visits between the two countries and the exchange of information on the promotion of investment and partnership opportunities, especially in the field of smart cities.
He said Dubai Holding philosophy is based on building a global network of sustainable smart cities which use renewable energy in line with the group’s aim to create a global network of innovative business communities, and incubators for science, technology and knowledge-based economy in various parts of the world.
HE Al Gergawi explained that the Kochi Smart City project, which is similar to Dubai Internet City, is one of the many smart city projects carried out by Dubai Holding in several countries of the world, including Malta Smart City. It represents an integrated smart city network based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who visualized more than 17 years back a revolution in the internet sector to promote the UAE national economy, transforming it to a knowledge-based economy, he added.
“Dubai Holding has adopted a vision for the future based on diversification of investments and sources of income. Our efforts to build smart cities began since establishment of the Dubai Internet City in 1999, to create an economic incubator that enables the major players in the technology sector to manage their business and activities from the UAE successfully at two levels – regional and international,” HE Al Gergawi said.
HE Al Gergawi pointed out that Kochi Smart City represents Dubai Holding’s efforts to spread globally to share experiences and knowledge. He said the group has been successful in developing a business model based on a network of global partnerships to stimulate innovation, and provide new investment opportunities, applying this model in other countries.
Creation of 90,000 jobs
Kochi Smart City has been designed to meet the needs of knowledge industries and companies in the information technology sector. The smart city is being developed across 246 acres, and 14 million square feet will be used for the construction of the project, including 6.5 million square feet designed specifically for knowledge services and information technology and related services. The remaining space will be allocated for schools, colleges, retail shops and hotels. The project will contribute to creating more than 90,000 new jobs in the state by 2020.
Kochi Smart City meets a number of international standards in energy conservation, considering that it uses 20% less energy than a normal city. The project has received the platinum rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria.
Dubai Holding
Dubai Holding includes 26 leading companies, and is one of the largest groups in the Middle East in the investment field. Its activities include investment in innovation, education, health, technology, real estate, energy, hotels, research and media.
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