Smart Dubai has recently hosted the second meeting of the Dubai Future Council for Blockchain, WAM reported.
The Council seeks to bring together local and global decision-makers from various government departments and private companies with a strong interest in smart city technologies.
Chaired by Smart Dubai’s Director-General, Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, the council was formed by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and held its inaugural meeting on 2nd April 2019.
At its second meeting, the Dubai Future Council for Blockchain presented and approved three initiatives for 2019, the first of which will be a report on Dubai’s Cryptocurrency Positioning. The second initiative is the Dubai Blockchain Implementation Policy and the third initiative is the Future Landscape Report for Blockchain in Dubai.
The meeting’s agenda included agreeing on the formation of working groups for these initiatives, as well as setting high-level delivery plans for each of them.
The Blockchain Council is part of the “Dubai Future Councils” initiative, launched at the beginning of 2019 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and Chairman of the DFF’s Board of Trustees, to find innovative solutions for strategic sectors and forecast their future over the next 50 years.
“Blockchain is one of the most promising technologies to appear on the world stage in recent years and Dubai has already made remarkable accomplishments in the sector, launching a blockchain strategy and hosting international blockchain conferences that bring together influential international experts,” said Dr. Bin Bishr.
“The ‘Dubai Future Councils’ initiative is another milestone to be added to Dubai’s journey towards excellence and future leadership,” she added.
Wesam Lootah, CEO of the Smart Dubai Government Establishment, serves as the Vice Chair of the Dubai Future Council for Blockchain, which also brings together Dr. Abdulla Kablan, Tech Entrepreneur, blockchain and AI Expert; Dr. Marwan Al Zarouni, Senior Director of Information Services at the Dubai Electronic Security Centre and CEO of the Dubai Blockchain Centre; Raja Al Mazrouei, Executive Vice President of FinTech Hive – DIFC; Asim Janjua, Design and Innovation Expert; Joseph Lubin, Co-Founder of ConsenSys; Kamran Shahin, Vice President and Head of Blockchain Product Development & Innovation for Mastercard MENA; Ola Doudin, CEO at BitOasis; Miguel Rio Tinto, Group CIO at Emirates NBD; Muhammed Mekki, Founding Partner at AstroLabs; Olivier Leblan, Group Chief Information Officer at Chalhoub Group; and Faisal Al Hawi, Smart Dubai’s Product Manager for Blockchain and Trust Services, serves as the council’s Coordinator.
“Blockchain technology is undoubtedly one of the most prominent breakthroughs of the past few years with a massive potential to transform many aspects of everyday life for individuals, organisations and governments alike. And unlike other places around the world, the UAE, and Dubai, in particular, have embraced blockchain early on,” said Lootah.
