Dubai, UAE, February 28, 2023  As part  of the UAE Innovation Month, Dubai Municipality organised a series of interactive sessions, forums and workshops to nurture creativity and innovative ideas while celebrating and encouraging innovators. The event was attended by His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, as well as other senior and executive leaders of the Municipality and several employees.

Al Hajri affirmed the Municipality's keenness to be a part of the UAE Innovation Month’s activities as it is a premier platform that reflects the UAE's views and goals for designing and building the future, as well as its aim in fostering innovative and ground-breaking ideas.

He said: “Dubai Municipality attaches great importance to investing in a culture of sustainable innovation, as part of its work and mission to keep pace with the changes and improving various aspects of life. In addition to that the Municipality supports talents by offering programs and initiatives that develop the skills of its human cadres and provides opportunities for young and creative minds to develop their ideas.” 
“This contributes to supporting the country's economic activity and enhances its competitive position as a global innovation center. This comes in line with one of the UAE's 'Principles of the 50,' which was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to focus on digital and scientific excellence, in a way that establishes the country's position as a future capital and a hub that attracts exceptional minds and talents,” Al Hajri added.

Interactive Workshops on Innovation
The Municipality organised the ‘Research and Studies Forum’ which featured several studies, researches, and innovative and outstanding projects, such as the 3D Infrastructure and Service Lines Map project , self-driving cars, study of level of awareness of requirements of health and safety programmes in the industrial sector, and study of the characteristics of heat-insulating dye products in accordance with the prevalent environment in the Emirate of Dubai.
With the participation and assistance of initiative leaders, different workshops and initiatives, including the ‘Innovation Lab’ initiative under the title ‘Design the Future,’ were organised to explore most significant creative and innovative ideas in various disciplines aimed at facilitating the exchange of creative ideas and offer innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the Municipality. 
Workshops were held on innovation such as:  providing geospatial infrastructure for Dubai Metaverse, and innovation in the engineering field and the future.. Additionally,. 

As part of the program, a lecture titled 'Creativity and Resilience in Improving Services' was conducted in collaboration with the Dubai Model Centre to increase awareness of the 360 services policy and its principles. The program also included a virtual reality experience showcasing historical sites, highlighting their evolution over time from the past to the present and the future.

Institutional Research Award
The ‘Institutional Research Award’ was also launched by the Municipality with the aim of fostering the system of institutional and scientific research, encouraging specialists and exceptional researchers among its staff, as well as strengthening the culture of creativity and government innovation, further enhancing their level of competition in the field of knowledge. 

The award serves as a driving force that provides tangible, leading and innovative solutions that assists in addressing prevalent challenges in all sectors and institutions of Dubai Municipality. This can be achieved by activating and strengthening research efforts of cadres, developing the research, and strengthening knowledge levels that supports sustainable growth in productivity of individuals by offering newer opportunities and incentives for research and development pertaining to the Municipality’s field of work.

UAE Hackathon
Dubai Municipality also participated in the ‘UAE Hackathon 2023,’ which was organised by Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), aimed at fostering a culture of digital transformation in the UAE. The event served as a platform for collaboration among members of various societal segments, including college and high school students, employees, entrepreneurs, and IT professionals, to work on creating innovative solutions and ideas.
Furthermore, the Municipality has participated in a number of challenges during the ‘UAE Hackathon,’ including how to link recyclable waste producers with companies authorised to recycle and follow up on its various stages; one on the best ways to assist drone users in identifying permitted places and routes; and another challenge on the potential for enhancing communication and disseminating agricultural knowledge among beneficiaries and people interested in this field in the Emirate.
The Municipality further took part in the Innovation Month’s activities for other government agencies and entities, including the Dubai Courts Innovation Forum, the Intellectual Property Conference, the Innovation Dialogues organised by the Executive Council of the Government of Dubai, and the 12th Regional Conference on Combating Intellectual Property Crimes in the Middle East and North Africa.

Additionally, Dubai Municipality dedicated the ‘Merchant of the Future’ initiative to children with an aim of enhancing their innovation and creativity concepts. The initiative was held for school students at Creek Park, as part of Children’s City activities.