Competitiveness Policy Briefs Series: Volume 2

SAFETY AND SECURITY COMPETITIVENESS IN “WHY DUBAI IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN ”

POLICY BRIEF Dubai Competitiveness Office Competitiveness Policy Briefs Series

Volume 2 of Dubai Competitiveness Office’s Policy Briefs Series, this Brief analyzes Dubai’s performance and core competences of safety and security in Dubai as one of the safest cities in the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Safest City Definition and Importance for the City’s Competitiveness 6

Safety and Security Competitiveness Structure 8

Dubai Performance in Safety and Security Global Indices 10

Personal Safety and Security 11

Infrastructure Safety and Security 16

Health Safety and Security 20

Digital Safety and Security 23

Safety and Security During COVID-19 27

Conclusion 37

2 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Introduction Globally, people living in cities or urban areas are increasing overtime, latest data reveals that more than 55% of world population lives in big cities or urban areas1. This percentage is expected to keep increasing overtime given the regular growth trend (Figure 1).

Accordingly, city management is considered crucial for the overall wellbeing, quality of life, tourism and doing business among other factors. Moreover, people’s wellbeing as well as enabling business environment requires that security measures are adequate, law enforcement is well prepared and safety measures are adopted and well developed. Hence, Safety and security are among the main challenges -or success factors- in any city determining its competitiveness and attractiveness.

Dubai is considered the largest business city in the UAE according to the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report for over 15 years with a population of 3.4 million Individuals living in the city, 16.73 million visitors (according to Dubai Tourism 2019 data), area of 4,114 km² and unemployment rate of 0.5% (Figure 2 and 3). As a major city and a hub for the Middle East, Dubai managed to place itself in the top 10 or 20 cities globally in more than 100 indicators related to safety and security in several global competitiveness reports.

1 United Nations Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.

3 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Figure 1 : 1:World World Urban Urban Population Population

World Urban population (% of total population)

60.0 55.3

50.0

40.0

30.0

1960 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017

Source: WorldWorld Bank Bank.

Figure 2: Dubai Population

Figure 2: Dubai Population

Population in Dubai (in millions) 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.0 1.9

1.5

1.0

0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Source: Dubai Statistics Center 2019 Source: Dubai Statistics Center 2019

4 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

This policy brief highlights the core competences of safety and security in Dubai as one of the safest cities in the world. The brief starts by addressing the meaning of a “Safe City” and Why safety is important for any city’s attractiveness and competitiveness. Then, the brief presents the structure and framework considered for safety and security of any city and how Dubai performs within each theme and a conclusion of How should Dubai sustain the rank and maintain as the safest city in the world. Additionally, a thematic section on the safety and security role during the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighted to address how the utilized its funda- mentals on safety and security to effectively manage such a global crisis.

Figure 3: Dubai´s3: Dubai's Unemployment Unemployment Rate Rate

Unemployment Rate in Dubai (%)

5

4

3

2 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 1 0

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Source: DubaiDubai Statistics Statistics Center Center 2019 2019

5 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Safest City definition and Importance for the City’s Competitiveness Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, safety is a crucial component of life quality and wellbeing in every city. Therefore, every City must be a Safe City. People want to experience order, predictability and control in their lives. These needs can be fulfilled by the family and society (e.g. police, schools, business & medical care).

The concept of Safer Cities has evolved over the past two decades from simply including crime and violence, to encompassing safety from disaster risk, from conflict, and more generally, from poverty and exclusion. Safety is increasingly seen as a public good and a fundamental right.

6 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

According to the OECD “Better Life Index”, two third of the surveyed individuals reflect on their safety by “Feeling safe walking alone at night”. Additionally, this statement is used as a question by Gallup World Poll to assess safety within different communities around the world. The UAE ranked 2nd globally for people “Feeling safe walking alone at night” according to 2019 Prosperity Index. This statement or question seems a simple one about personal security. However, analyzing the concept behind it brings up more dimensions to the safety concept.

Walking alone at night will require infrastructure, including places to walk safely, street monitoring tools and lighting that protects from any potential risk. Similarly, quality of the surrounding environment that enables walking with- out health potential harm. Finally, and in a world of the 4th industrial revolution or digital revolution, digital and technological safety is considered an essential need to protect from fraud and other related risks, this also entails that local police and related institutions use latest technologies to guarantee people’s safety and security.

Hence, the term “Safe City” is considered a broad term that includes several aspects and keep evolving throughout the time. Additionally, same concept has been addressed through the Safe Cities Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit in the 2019 edition.

Accordingly, the Safe Cities are cities that maintain different aspects of safety overtime guaranteeing people’s quality of life, business sustainability, tourist attraction and boosting overall city competitiveness. This concept reflected globally where in most of the global competitiveness reports there is always a pillar discussing one or more concept related to safety and security.

7 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Safety & Security Competitiveness Structure The safety and security area is usually dealt with as one pillar within a certain analysis that covers other topics of global competitiveness. Some reports set the framework of safety and security as personal security measures like crimes and violence related indicators.

8 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

The World Urban Campaign by the UN HABITAT identified the structure for Safer Cities into three main areas of social prevention actions aimed at groups at risk, law enforce- ment and urban design and management. The framework focuses on areas related to youth and female personal safety, designing streets and buildings in a way to reduce crimes (street lightening, street layout, etc), policing, conflict resolution, law enforcement and trust between police and community.

Alternatively, recent competitiveness reports look at safety and security from a technology perspective considering cybersecurity, fraud among other digital threats. Those reports usually discuss safety and security within the smart cities con- cept. For this policy brief and in order to cover different com- petitiveness areas related to safety and security in Dubai as a global city, the brief uses the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index approach of four main categories or pillars of personal, infrastructure, health and digital safety.

This framework enables a more holistic analysis for the safety and security in Dubai by covering different topics either the ones within competitiveness reports as a standalone theme, sustainability related reports or recent reports related to smart cities and digital competitiveness.

Figure 4: Safety and Security Framework

Safety and Security Framework

Digital Infrastructure Personal Health safety and safety and safety and safety and security security security security

9 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Dubai Performance in Safety and Security Global Indices This section highlights in details areas and indicators where Dubai ranked as one of the top 20 safest cities globally within six main global competitiveness reports of Global Residence Safety Index, Smart Cities Index, Safe Cities Index, Global Talent Competitive- ness Index, Crime Index and Safety Index covering more than 50 global safety and security related indicators and statistics.

10 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Those indices or reports are the main reports on cities safety and security; there are other several indices that discusses the safety and security at country level where the UAE ranked significantly high either as top 10 or 20 globally2, however, the focus will be at city level indices and reports mentioned.

In addition to highlighting the global rankings, local statistics will be addressed showing the capacity and competency of safety and security components in Dubai.

This will be addressed with four main sub-themes as per the safety and security framework highlighted in the previous section. Personal Safety and Security Personal safety comes as the first important pillar for safe cities, it is about the personal recognition and avoidance of any possible harmful situation. Dubai ranks 1st in more than 11 in- dicators on Personal Safety within different competitiveness indices mainly the Safe Cities Index by the Economist Intel- ligence Unit and Smart Cities report by IMD World Com- petitiveness Center. These indicators where Dubai ranked first reflects the distinguished role of the local police and other institutions in prioritizing personal safety within the emirate. Additionally, this is reflected by ranking 1st global- ly in “level of police engagement” where Dubai got a score of 100/100 addressing that the city have a dedicated police force as well as “community-based patrolling”.

2 Those country level reports include, Global Competitiveness Index, Global Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, Prosperity Index, World Competitiveness Year book, Illicit Trade Index, Global Peace Index, Rule of Law Index and World Internal Security Police Index among others.

11 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Box 1: Dubai Police International Safety Award

The General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology at Dubai Police has recently been rewarded by the British Safety Council’s International Safety Awards for demon- strating a true commitment to achieving high standards of health and safety during the 2019 calendar year. Dubai Police have met all safety provisions and procedures required by the award, including providing necessary training, investing accidents per the global ISO procedures, and establishing effective communication with individuals. In addition to ensuring precise monitoring to mental health and quality of life, adhering to preventive measures internally and on the field, and the introducing clear, specific and written evacuation plans.

Moreover, Dubai has the lowest emergency response time of 6 minutes compared to Hong Kong (9 minutes), Singapore (11.4 minutes), Amsterdam (6.5 minutes) and London (15 minutes). Additionally, in Dubai 98% of the calls answered within 10 Sec- onds compared to 90% in Singapore.

Figure 5: Emergency Response Time

Emergen Response Time in minutes

15 16 14 11.4 12 9 10 6.5 8 6 6 4 2 0

Dubai onon Sinapore on on msteram

Source: Various National Statistics Centers (2019)

12 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Dubai always keep a track with technological development, this is also reflected on using these technologies for personal safety, the emirate ranks 1st globally in Qualitative measure of whether data-driven technologies are utilized for the surveillance and predicting of crime as well as the availability of street level crime data with as score of 100 out of 100.

Additionally, Dubai have launched a distinguished kind of police stations called The Smart Police Station (SPS) which is an integrated interactive self-service police station. It is the first of its kind, in the Middle East and it allows the community members to apply for Dubai Police services that are provided at traditional police stations.

Box 2: Region's First- Smart Police Stations

The Smart Police Station (SPS) is an integrated inter- active self-service police station. The Station provides many smart services, e.g., register a criminal report, de- livery of found materials, and all requests of certificates and permits. This type of self-service stations, support- ed by smart and interactive technologies, will be estab- lished in many new areas and projects, within the Emir- ate of Dubai. They will enable customers to complete their transactions, smartly, and without having to visit the traditional police stations or to wait in queues to complete their transactions.

13 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

When it comes to the crimes and justice system, Dubai ranks 1st globally in Effectiveness of the criminal justice system, Prevalence of petty crime, Prevalence of violent crime, Threat of civil unrest and Severity of terrorist attacks. Moreover, out of more than 100 cities, Dubai ranks 1st in community consider- ing “Public safety is not a problem” as well as Private security measures availability reflecting the perception of the overall personal security measures within the city.

According to Gallup World Poll and the Prosperity Index, The UAE ranked 2nd globally in the percentage of people who responded "Yes" to the survey question: "Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?"

In addition to being 1st globally in many personal safety com- petitiveness indicators, Dubai ranks 6th globally and main- taining as one of the top 10 safest cities in the world in many indicators including, Worries home broken and things stolen, Worries being mugged or robbed, Worries car stolen, Worries things from car stolen, Worries attacked, Worries being insult- ed, Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion, Problem people using or dealing drugs and Problem violent crimes such as as- sault and armed robbery.

14 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Table 1: Personal Safety Competitiveness Indicators

Dubai Dubai Indicator Index Definitions Score Rank

Level of police Does the country or city have 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 engagement a dedicated Police Force?

Does Community Based Patrolling Community-based patrolling 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 exist in the City? Is street-level crime available Available street-level crime data 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 and accessible? Qualitative measure of whether data-driv- Use of data-driven 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 en technologies are utilized for the surveil- techniques for crime lance and predicting of crime Are private security services Private security measures 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 available in the city?

Effectiveness of the criminal What is the recidivism rate 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 justice system in the city/country?

How prevalent is petty crime Prevalence of petty crime 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 within the city/country? How prevalent is violent crime Prevalence of violent crime 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 within the city/country? Average no. of wounded and killed Severity of terrorist attacks 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 in terrorist attacks over the past ten years

Threat of civil unrest 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 Rating 0 – 4, 0 = Intolerable, 4 = Acceptable

Worries home broken 15.39 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator and things stolen

Worries being mugged or robbed 13.26 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Worries car stolen 11.45 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Worries things from car stolen 17.27 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Worries being attacked 15.26 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Worries being insulted 19.48 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Worries being subject to a physical attack because 14.44 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion

Problem people using 18.52 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator or dealing drugs

Problem violent crimes such 12.66 6 Safety Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator as assault and armed robbery

Public safety is not a problem. 82.92 1 Smart Cities Index 2020 General Public Consensus on the Indicator

Dubai is widely regarded as one of the safest places for visitors and residents alike, both regionally and globally. With maximum possible scoring attained in indicators including the Prevalence of Petty and Violent Crimes, Effective Justice System and many others, in addition to the various initiatives put forth by local authorities including the Dubai Police Force, the Emirate will continue to offer a safe environment for people to live, grow and prosper.

15 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Infrastructure Safety and Security Dubai have set the infrastructure as a priority and enabler for economic development, wellbeing as well as safety and security of the community. The infrastructure as an enabler for safety and security is highly important not only for the city community but also for business and tourism. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Dubai ranks 1st globally in “Quality Assessment of the existence of city-level Govern- ment Policy to make city streets pedestrian-friendly (walkable, accessible and safe)”.

Dubai ranks 1st globally in Institutional capacity and access to resources in case of an emergency as well as power network and 4th globally in road network according to the EIU Safe Cities Index. The road capacity -among other factors -reflected where Dubai have a relatively low level of annual road accidents (2547 accident) compared to cities like Singapore (7690 accident) and Hong Kong (15953 accident) (see Figure 6: Number of Road Accidents by City) with relatively lower con- gestion level of 21% compared to 42% in Tokyo, 38% in London and 32% in Singapore (see Figure 7: Congestion Levels by City). Moreover, Dubai ranks 1st globally in Enforcement of transport safety according to the EIU Safe Cities Index, where in 2012, Dubai Police introduced the ‘White Points’ system to motivate driving cars to abide by traffic laws and regulations. Under the White Points system, people with a driving license issued by the Dubai Government will be rewarded if they do not:

▪ Commit any traffic violations in Dubai or other ▪ Incur and parking fines ▪ Face traffic prosecution cases for an entire year

16 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

White points are accumulated at the end of the year, at the rate of two points per month. Eli- gible drivers would gather 24 points in one calendar year.

Figure 6: Number of Road Accidents by City

Number of Road Accidents

20000

15000 15935

10000 7690

5000 2547

0

Dubai

Singapore Hong Kong

Source: Dubai Statistics Center (2018)

Figure 7: Congestion Levels by City

Congestion Level (TomTom Traffic Index)

50% 42% 38% 40% 32% 31% 33% 32% 30% 21% 20%

10%

0%

Dubai Zurich Tokyo London Toronto Singapore Hong Kong

Source: TomTom's Traffic Index (2020)

For safety during risk situations, the Emirate ranks 1st globally in many indicators.

Accordingly, within the EIU Safe cities index on whether the city have a weather monitoring system and a multi-hazard early warning system, Dubai ranks 1st in 2019 edition as well as in the indicator related to air transportation safety on “What is the risk that air transport facilities will prove inadequate to business needs based on degree of obsolescence or maintenance and suf- ficient supply to meet demand?” with a full score of 100 out of 100 in both indicators. Moreover, for critical indicators like Deaths from natural disasters and Number of attacks on facilities/ infrastructure, Dubai ranks 1st globally with a full score of 100.

17 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Table 2: Infrastructure Security Competitiveness Indicators

Dubai Dubai Indicator Index Definitions Score Rank

Enforcement of Scale (0-10) of Enforcement 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 transport safety of Transport Safety

Quality Assessment of the existence of city-level Pedestrian friendliness 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 Government Policy to make city streets pedestrian-friendly (walkable, accessible and safe)

Deaths from Number of deaths from Natural Disasters 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 natural disasters based on a 5 Year average

Number of attacks on Number of attacks on facilities or infrastructure 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 facilities/infrastructure per year based on a 10-year average

Does the agency responsible for responding in the Institutional capacity event of a disaster (either at the national or sub- 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 and access to resources national level) have direct access to financial resources in the case of an emergency?

What is the risk that air transport facilities will prove inadequate to business needs based on degree of Air transport facilities 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 obsolescence or maintenance and sufficient supply to meet demand?

What is the risk that Road Network will prove inadequate to business needs based on degree of Road network 91.8 4 Safe Cities Index 2019 obsolescence or maintenance and sufficient supply to meet demand?

What is the risk that Power Network will prove inadequate to business needs based on degree of Power network 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 obsolescence or maintenance and sufficient supply to meet demand?

Does the city have a weather Hazard monitoring 100 1 Safe Cities Index 2019 monitoring system and a multi-hazard early warning system?

18 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Box 3: Road Safety initiatives

Road Safety

UAE eCall Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in cooperation with Abu Dhabi and Dubai Police launched an eCall system for automatic call in the event of traffic accidents. In the event of a collision, the eCall system automatically establishes a two-way voice communication via the cellular network to the nearest emergency centre.

The emergency centre will dispatch a medical team to the location of the accident as soon as possible.

This system will accelerate the accident response time by providing a sophisticated feature for rapid communication with the emergency teams, which allows automatic and voice information to be received and logged into the system simultaneously rather than printing commands in a conventional manner.

Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy

Dubai traffic safety strategy is set to establish a challenging record of reducing fatalities to 1.5 for every 100,000 of the population in Dubai by 2021.

The strategy is based on four agendas • improving motorists' driving habits • inspecting vehicles for traffic safety regulations and for criminal safety procedures • inspecting motorists' records

From the Iconic launched in 2009 to one of the world’s best airports, Dubai has always invested heavily into its infrastructure. Home to over 3 million people, the local government ensures that infrastructure facilitates people, businesses and communities to enjoy a modern and secure quality of life not experienced any where else in the world.

19 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Health Safety and Security Health safety and security is essential for different individuals, it is translated into ensuring no harm form different resourc- es that affect person’s health including quality food, emer- gency services efficiency, air quality, etc. In January 2016, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Ruler of Dubai launched Dubai Health Strategy 2021 (Figure 8: Dubai Health Strategy 2021).

The strategy features 4 main approaches, 6 objectives, 15 programmes and 93 initiatives, all of which are set to achieve a leap over the next five years. The aim is to provide the highest quality of medical care to patients with chron- ic diseases, promote a culture of early detection and raise awareness about the importance of regular check-ups.

The 4 approaches are: health and lifestyle, excellence in providing service, smart healthcare and governance. Health Strategy 2021 Objectives include; Ensuring a healthy and safe environment for Dubai's people, Ensuring the provision of a high quality comprehensive and integrated health service system, achieving innovation, improving efficiency in provid- ing healthcare, creating an integrated database to be used for the smart government policy in taking decision and Creating an effective ecological system for healthcare sector in Dubai in collaboration with the private and public sectors.

20 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Figure 8: Dubai Health Strategy 2021

Health Strategy 2021 Objectives

Ensuring a Ensuring the Achieving Improving Creating an Creating an healthy and safe provision of a innovation efficiency in integrated effective environment for high quality providing database to be ecological system Dubai's people comprehensive healthcare used for the smart for healthcare and integrated government policy sector in Dubai in health service in taking decision collaboration with system the private and public sectors

From competitiveness perspectives, Dubai achieved top ranks in several health safety related indicators; according to the Safe Cities Index by the EIU, Dubai ranks 1st globally in Emergency services in the city reflecting the best level of emergency avail- ability and response time globally. Additionally, Dubai Ranks 1st globally in Number of biological, chemical, radiological weapons attacks and Natural disasters death rate.

Moreover, on indicators related to diseases, Dubai ranks 2nd globally in Cancer mortality rate (Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 - all cancers, both sexes, ages 0-69) according to the Safe Cities Index, 5th globally in Medical services provision is satisfactory according to the Smart Cities Index and 12th globally in Arranging medical appointments online has improved access.

From environmental impact perspective, Dubai ranks 3rd glob- ally that Basic sanitation meets the needs of the poorest areas and 7th in Air pollution is not a problem. Finally, and for the importance of food safety as part of health safety concept, Dubai scored 99.7 out of 100 in Access to safe and quality food which is the second highest score in this indicator according to the Safe Cities Index.

21 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Table 3: Health Security Competitiveness Indicators

Dubai Dubai Indicator Index Definitions Score Rank

Safe Cities Access to safe and quality food 99.7 20 Scale (0-100) of access to safe and quality food Index 2019

Safe Cities Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 - all Cancer mortality rate 91.3 2 Index 2019 cancers, both sexes, ages 0-69

No. of biological, chemical, Safe Cities 100 1 Average annual attacks over the past ten years radiological weapons attacks Index 2019

0: No emergency services available, or more than Emergency services Safe Cities 1-hour for emergency response time 1: An emergency 100 1 in the city Index 2019 response time of between 10 minutes - 1 hour 2: An emergency response time of less than 10 minutes

Basic sanitation meets the Smart Cities 86.36 3 General Public Consensus on the Indicator needs of the poorest areas Index 2020

Medical services provision Smart Cities 59.92 7 General Public Consensus on the Indicator is satisfactory Index 2020

Arranging medical appoint- Smart Cities ments online has improved 82.23 5 General Public Consensus on the Indicator Index 2020 access

Arranging medical Smart Cities appointments online 82.09 12 General Public Consensus on the Indicator Index 2020 has improved access

The estimated death rate per country from natural Global Residence Natural disasters death rate 0 1 disasters, e.g. earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, Safety Index 2019 hurricanes and storms etc.

Dubai’s strong performance across various Health Security indicators from numerous Global Indices is further reinforced by its strategic approach towards national health. The Dubai Health Strategy 2021 will further boost Dubai’s rankings on Health indicators and ultimately solidify the emirate as a Global Hub for Health and Medicine.

22 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Digital safety and security On July 2020, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, launched the Dubai Cyber Index, an initiative aimed at supporting the efforts of Dubai’s government entities to ensure the highest standards of cybersecurity. The Index seeks to establish Dubai as the city with the safest cyberspace in the world. Additionally, with the broader aim of positioning the Emirate as an international role model for cybersecurity, the Index will create a strong foundation for a free, safe and resilient online world for both individual users and organizations. The Index is aligned with the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy’s goal to protect Dubai from a range of cybersecurity risks and support the emirate’s economic growth. It is also part of the city’s efforts to drive rapid technological progress and digital transformation.

Additionally, Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) has created a strategy to help protect Dubai from cyber security risks with the aim of supporting the growth of Dubai and its economy, led by innovation. The launch of the strategy comes in line with the technological progress witnessed by the world, the smart transformation witnessed by the and the accompanying challenges and risks that require mo- bilization of energies in order to achieve the objectives of the plan. The strategy aims to provide integrated protection against the dangers of cyberspace, support for innovation in cyberspace and the growth of the emirate and its economic prosperity (Box 5: Dubai Cyber Security Strategy).

Dubai efforts on digital safety and security area with a vision and foresight on technological development and transformation

23 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

have been translated into achieving distinguished compet- itiveness ranking within many competitiveness reports. Accordingly, Dubai ranks 1st globally in Public-Private Part- nerships to address Cybersecurity Threats, Levels of Technology Employed and Dedicated Cyber-Security Teams to combat cybercrime according to the EIU Safe Cities Index. Moreover, according to the Smart Cities Index by IMD, the city of Dubai ranks 2nd globally in CCTV cameras make residents feel safer. Dubai also ranks 5th globally in Percentage of City Population with Internet Access. Additionally, Dubai ranks 11th globally in Online reporting of city maintenance problems provides a speedy solution and 15th globally in Percentage of Computers Infected.

Box 4: Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) launched the first financial regulator-led Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform in the region in collaboration with the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), the National Computer Emergency Response Team for the UAE (aeCERT), the Computer Incident Response Center Luxembourg (CIRCL) and the Open Source Threat Intelligence and Sharing Platform Project (MISP). The platform will facilitate the development of a community of information sharing for regulated and non-regulated companies operating in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The platform also connects with other respected international cyber security firms. The new system is the first regulator-led cyber threat intelligence platform in the region. The platform is designed to strengthen the cyber security environment in the DIFC, with an overarching aim of facilitating businesses in their cyber defenses, in a more efficient and coherent manner.

24 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Table 4: Digital Security Competitiveness Indicators

Dubai Dubai Indicator Index Definitions Score Rank

Safe Cities Public-Private Partnerships to address Public-Private Partnerships 100 1 Index 2019 Cybersecurity Threats

0-No/Minimal Technology Implementation 100- Has both Levels of Technology Safe Cities 100 1 Country and City level technology implementation 75- Employed Index 2019 Only has Country level technology implementation

0- No Dedicated Cybersecurity Teams 1- Country-Level Dedicated Cyber-Security Safe Cities 100 1 dedicated teams to combat cybercrime 2- as both Country Teams Index 2019 and City level dedicated teams to combat Cybercrime

Scoring is based on the percentage of computers Percentage of Safe Cities 50 15 which encountered at least 1 Malware-Class Web Computers Infected Index 2019 Attack While Online

Percentage with Safe Cities 96.1 5 Percentage of City Population with Internet Access Internet Access Index 2019

Online reporting of city Smart Cities maintenance problems 76.72 11 General Public Consensus on the Indicator Index 2020 provides a speedy solution.

CCTV cameras make Smart Cities 85.81 2 General Public Consensus on the Indicator residents feel safer Index 2020

25 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Box 5: Dubai Cyber Security Strategy

Dubai Cyber Security Strategy

Strategy Principles

Compliance Free Flow Collaboration Consideration with Regulation of Information of Risk

All applicable laws and The cyber space needs The risks of cyber space Individuals using the cyber regulations should be to remain open to are transnational. Dubai space need to understand applied to the cyber innovation and free flow needs to seek partner- that absolute security space in order to of ideas information, and ships with other regional cannot be achieved. This achieve cyber security expression. It should be and international cities all-pervasive awareness and enhance awareness a competitive environ- and countries while contributes more to cyber of all society about the ment which ensures a fair seeking out information security than any single importance of compli- return on investment on initiatives; the risks organization can. ance with legislation in infrastructure, services cannot be managed and content. through Dubai’s defense alone.

Strategy Domains

The Cyber Security Strategy has a set of main domains, which, together with the guiding principles above, will be established and implemented to achieve cyber security within the region.

Cyber Smart Society Cyber Security Innovation Cyber Resilience (Inter)National

Achieving aware- Putting controls Promoting research Ensuring the Collaboration ness, skills and in place to protect and development continuity of IT Establishing national capabilities confidentiality, for cyber security, systems and and international to manage cyber integrity and and establishing their availability collaboration to security risks for availability, as well a free, fair and in the cyber space manage cyber risks Dubai’s public and as data privacy for secure cyberspace private sectors, Dubai’s public and in Dubai and individuals private sectors, and individuals

Dubai Authorities have placed great emphasis on tackling rising global trends of cyber-crime. In their efforts to bolster cyber-security, and as further supported by competitiveness indices, the Emirate’s structured approach will ensure that digital security will be a guarantee for its population.

26 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Safety & Security During COVID-19 On the 29th of January, 2020, the con- firmed its first four cases of the novel Coronavirus: COVID 19. In the months following the discovery of the virus from its presumed source in Wuhan, China, the World has been subject to an almost unprecedented crisis, on both the Health and the Economic fronts. Whilst Dubai and the UAE have effective healthcare systems in place- as is evident from competitiveness indicators- the viral and highly contagious nature of the disease nonetheless proved a challenge even for the most advanced healthcare frameworks.

27 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Figure 9: COVID-19 Cases in the UAE

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0

3/Jun/20 1/Jul/20 29/Jan/20 11/Mar/20 8/Apr/2022/Apr/620/May/20 17/Jun/20 15/Jul/20 12/Feb/2620/Feb/20 25/Mar/20 20/May/20

Source: Official National Statistics (July, 2020)³

The UAE authorities have been largely able to control the spread of COVID-19 across the country, through enforcement of stringent measures including a country-wide lockdown, travel restrictions, setting up of field hospitals, amongst others. As a result, and as is evident from the graph above, the UAE is on its way to flattening the curve. In stark contrast, the United States have not been successful in limiting the spread of the virus, and as a result are facing a possible 2nd wave.

However, there is no one factor that can explain the success in the tackling of this virus. Instead, it is a combination of factors from health and infrastructure to personal and digital safety that allowed Dubai and the UAE to avoid health calamities experienced by other countries such as Italy, Spain and the United States.

3 A cut-off Date of 15th July has been set for all COVID-19 related Source Dates.

28 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Personal Safety & Security During Covid-19

The novel Coronavirus Pandemic has put a strain on public safety and security authorities all across the world. The goal of authorities has been to contain the spread of the virus in public spaces. Countries and cities around the world-imposed lockdowns and public movement restrictions.

Dubai Government Authorities, including the Dubai Police, were prompt in their response to the incoming pandemic, and an emirate-wide lockdown was announced starting on the 22nd of March. As a result of the timely responses by the authorities combined with effective measures undertaken have resulted in very low fatality rates due to COVID-19 relative to other countries. In stark contrast, the top 3 countries with highest infection rates- the United States, Brazil and India- have recorded COVID-19 Fa- tality rates multitude of times that of the UAE (4.36%, 4% and 2.78% respectively). The United States and Brazil have abstained from implementing a nation-wide lockdown.

Table 5: Dubai’s Prompt response to Covid-19

Lockdown Lockdown Lockdown Country Start Date End Date Level

United Arab Emirates 26-03-2020 17-04-2020 National

Dubai 22-03-2020 17-04-2020 Emirate-Wide

Singapore 07-04-2020 01-06-2020 National

New Zealand 26-03-2020 14-05-2020 National

United Kingdom 23-03-2020 - National

Italy 09-03-2020 18-05-2020 National

France 17-03-2020 11-05-2020 National

Germany 23-03-2020 10-05-2020 National

Spain - 09-05-2020 National

Australia 23-03-2020 - National

United States - - Various States

Oman (Muscat) 10-04-2020 29-05-2020 Governate

Source: Various National Statistics (July, 2020)

29 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Table 6: COVID-19 in Selected Countries

COVID-19 COVID-Related Fatality Country Cases Deaths Rate

United Arab Emirates 52,068 324 0.62%

United States 3050000 133000 4.36%

Brazil 1670000 66868 4.00%

India 742000 20642 2.78%

Source: Various National Statistics (July, 2020)

Box 6: Dubai Police COVID-19 Safety Provisions

Dubai Police were quick in ensuring all public protocols were being followed. Patrols were set-up in order to ensure no breach of lockdown measures. Strict fines were also introduced for those breaking Social Distancing regulations, applicable to people and businesses alike. In addition, Dubai Police utilized latest technologies to combat the virus. Unmanned aerial drones were deployed to patrol different parts of the city after the government temporarily closed beaches, parks and tourist facilities. The drones were equipped with cameras that can photograph events during the day and at night. The devices also contain built-in speakers that can be used to broadcast any Dubai Police messages or announcements to the public.

Infrastructure Safety & Security During Covid-19

Dubai prides itself with some of the most modern and advanced infrastructure in the world. From transportation including the Dubai Metro and world-renowned Dubai Airport to urban infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels and more, it was important to ensure that Infrastructure Security was upheld during the time of COVID-19.

Dubai Government authorities were quick to react to the onset of the global pandemic, and all Dubai Airports were closed to international flights on the 26th of March, as a preventive measure aimed at containing the spread of the virus. The Airports remained closed until the 4th of June, upon which a gradual opening was introduced that initially only facilitated repatriation, transit and return of residents/citizens flights.

30 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Box 7: Dubai International Airport Competitiveness

Dubai International Airport was the 4th busiest airport in the world in 2019, with over 86 million people travelling through the airport. Global Air travel expedited the spread of the novel COVID-19, and as a result served as a challenge for governments in their attempts to curb its spread.

Airport City Number of Travellers

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta Atlanta (USA) 110,531,300 International Airport Beijing Capital Beijing (China) 100,011,000 International Airport Los Angeles Los Angeles (USA) 88,068,013 International Airport

Dubai International Airport Dubai (UAE) 86,396,757

Tokyo Haneda Airport Tokyo (Japan) 85,505,054

Source: ACI (2019)

In addition to the closure of Airports, the UAE announced Nation- al Sterilization Campaign on the 26th of March, aimed at further restricting the spread of COVID-19 across the country. The cam- paign aimed at disinfecting all streets, roads, public transport and public centers across the UAE. During the campaign, traffic and public movements were restricted and all non-essential busi- nesses in Dubai, including Cafes, Gyms, Cinemas, Salons and Spas were ordered to cease their operating activities.

31 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Dubai preceded the country-wide lockdown with its own emirate- wide lockdown starting on the 22nd of March. Public movement was restricted and intensive sanitization works were carried out in all public spaces, including businesses and malls as well as public transportation and infrastructure.

This campaign was first of its kind not only within the Middle East Region, but also globally, and proved to be highly effective in restricting the person-to-person infections of the virus. The National Sterilization Campaign was declared successfully completed on the 24th of June, with gradual re-opening procedures and plans announced by Dubai and Federal governments.

Dubai Municipality utilized drones to conduct emirate-wide sterilization procedures in its efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Specialized teams have deployed advanced vehicles and equipment for spraying and disinfection, including spraying devices on vehicles that compress disinfection fluid into small particles, portable sprays that operate with hydraulic retail power, and spray and fumigation machines.

32 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Health Safety and Security During Covid-19

Out of the 4 established Pillars of the Safety and Security framework, the COVID-19 pandemic had arguably the big- gest impact on health safety and security. For the elderly, im- mune-compromised and those with underlying conditions, the virus could potentially prove to be fatal.

As such, the pandemic put every country’s Health industry to a test and governments scrambled to ensure their Healthcare systems and infrastructures were well-equipped to counter the pandemic. Dubai’s health sector, one of the most developed in the region, was well-prepared to tackle the incoming crisis.

During the onset of the Global Pandemic, local Dubai Government entities have worked tirelessly in curbing the virus’ spread across the emirate. Government Entities including Dubai Police, Dubai Health Authority and the Com- mercial Compliance and Consumer Protection department of the Department of Economic Development were at the frontlines, ensuring that all measures are implemented successfully and are being strictly adhered to by the general public.

In addition, a huge COVID-test drive was implemented, that sought to bolster testing of residents and citizens displaying symptoms of the virus. The infected were quickly identified and were asked with withdrawing from the general population by self-quarantining up to a period of 14 days.

33 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Box 8: Dubai Ambulance EpiShuttle

Patients suffering from Covid-19 in Dubai were transferred to hospitals in specialized pres- sured tubes in order to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus from patients to medical personnel and others. The EpiShuttle is a single-patient isolation and transport system, designed to provide maximum patient safety and comfort while allowing critical care and treatment to be performed. Not only does it protect vulnerable patients, but it also means ambulances do not need to be sterilized and disinfected after each journey.

Box 9: Number of COVID-19 Tests by Country Centers (July, 2020)

As of the 13th of July, the country of 9.63 million people carried out 4.18 million COVID-19 tests. This is one of the highest per Capita rates in the world in countries with at least 1 million population, highlighting the UAE’s holistic approach at tackling the virus.

Country Number of Tests Conducted Population Tests per Pop

China 90 Million 1.39 Billion 0.0647 USA 42.4 Million 328.2 Million 0.129 Russia 23 Million 144.5 Million 0.159 UK 11.9 Million 66.65 Million 0.1785 India 11.8 Million 1.353 Billion 0.0087 Germany 6.37 Million 83.02 Million 0.0758 Italy 5.9 Million 60.36 Million 0.977 Spain 5.7 Million 46.94 Million 0.1214 Brazil 4.5 Million 209.5 Million 0.021 UAE 4.18 Million 9.63 Million 0.434

Source: Various National Statistics Centers (July, 2020)

Lastly, for the more severe verted into a field hospital cal equipment and expertise. cases, numerous field hos- with the capacity to treat pitals were setup across the around 3,000 patients during The Dubai World Trade country to ensure that criti- the ongoing coronavirus pan- Center is located in the cal cases were given all the demic. The Government of heart of the city near Burj attention and resources re- Dubai chose the location due Khalifa and Sheikh Zayed quired. One of these field to its readily available spa- Road which runs through the hospitals was the Dubai cious halls, while the emir- full length of the city, from its World Trade Centre, which ate’s health authorities will border with Abu Dubai in the had been temporarily con- provide the necessary medi- south, to Sharjah in the north.

34 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Digital Safety and Security During Covid-19

One effective way in combatting the virus was through the provision of accurate, up-to-date information on current trends, including infection rates, fatality rates, and more. Coun- tries around the world set up Digital Dashboards for tracking the virus statistics within their borders. One such portal had been launched by the Dubai Health Authority, who worked tirelessly in ensuring all vital information regarding COVID-19 were available to the public, including daily new cases of infections, deaths and recoveries. DHA has also, jointly with Ministry of Health and Prevention and Abu Dhabi Health Authority, launched the AlHOSN UAE app that served as a digital platform for COVID-19 tests. The app also used short- term Bluetooth signals, to show whether the person is in close proximity to people who have had contact with patients infected with the Covid-19 virus.

As outlined throughout this policy brief, Dubai’s remarkable recorded performance across various Safety and Security indicators was reciprocated in its successful tackling of the global health crisis. Dubai has served as a strong benchmark for cities around the world on its effective Safety and Security Framework that has enabled it to mitigate the detrimental effects of the crisis experienced by many other cities internationally.

Across the 4 pillars, it is evident that Dubai is well-prepared to tackle Safety and Security challenges from all fronts- Personal, Digital, Infrastructural and Health. It is due to this that Dubai is internationally regarded as one of the Safest Cities in the World. The Competitiveness indicators described in the sections above are aligned with its effective alleviation of the pandemic’s effects in the story they tell on how to

35 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

efficiently and effectively approach and mitigate an unprece- dented global pandemic. A true testament to the leadership and local authorities’ dedication to developing and upholding a safe and secure environment for its citizens and residents to live and work in.

Whilst undoubtedly the COVID-19 pandemic caught many off-guard, it is certain that Dubai and the UAE will work on further developing their frameworks in order to be even more prepared for future challenges. Through legislation, policies and innovation, the emirate and the country will further bolster the safety and security of their environments.

Figure 10: UAE COVID-19 Recoveries

UAE COVID-19 Recoveries

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0

9/Feb/20 9/Mar/20 9/Apr/20 9/May/20 9/Jun/20 9/Jul/20

Source: UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (July, 2020)

36 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Conclusion: Dubai Sustain the Rank and Maintain as One of the Safest Cities in the World This policy brief has highlighted the effective Safety and Security framework developed by authorities in the Emirate of Dubai.

No matter the metric, and as shown from Competitiveness Indices, not only is the city of Dubai amongst the Safest Cities in the World, but often time right at the very top.

37 Safety & Security Competitiveness In Dubai

Whilst the city’s rise and continuous improvement is nothing short of remarkable, it is important to continue on this trajectory in ensuring the Safe and Secure environment developed through past decades is upheld for the future to come. As such, current and future trends as well as global developments are required to be continuously studied in order to be better prepared for the challenges of the future.

One of these challenges is spurred by the rapid growth of technology, most notably in the cyber world. Hacking, viruses and malwares will always pose a threat to our cyber-wellbeing and thus it is essential to continue innovating on cyber security in order to ensure that people are not only physically protected, but digitally as well. As the world moves towards technologies like blockchain, cryptocurrency, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and many others, it is important to ensure that the security threats associated with each are well covered.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world the importance of an effective healthcare system that is able to rapidly respond to health crises stemming from anywhere in the world. Dubai’s healthcare system has held up remarkably in the face of the novel coronavirus, with some of the lowest fatality rates in the world. Nonetheless, continuous invest- ment in healthcare will remain critical and ensure that future pandemics are halted at the border. Dubai has a serious commitment to the safety and security of its res- idents and citizens as well as to the overall integrity of the emirate and the nation as a whole. In the end, Dubai has, is and will always offer a safe environment for all its inhabitants; tourists, investors, residents and citizens. Safety and Security is paramount to the government, and numerous initiatives seeking to bolster security are as clear evidence as it will ever be. In a turbulent region of the world, Dubai goes above and beyond to ensure that there is no safer place than within its border.

38 About the Dubai Competitiveness Office

According to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Execu- tive Council, and the Executive regulations No. (353) of 2012 issued by His Excellency the Director General of “Dubai Department of Economic Development”, “Dubai Competitiveness Office” was established with the aim of developing the competitive strategy of the emirate and achieving the vision of the government aiming at placing Dubai in an advanced position as the most competitive city in the world.

The office is responsible for formulating the Dubai competitiveness policy, that aims to achieve the goals of Dubai Plan 2021 through its six pillars, placing the Emirate of Dubai at the forefront of the cities of the world and redefining competitiveness, sustainability and resilience. The policy relies on a number of criteria achieving excellence and enhancing regional and global competitiveness of sectors in all priority development pillars, achieving the principle of sustainability in competitiveness, enhancing the emirate’s rank in global competitive- ness indicators, integration in work between gov- ernment entities, Optimum utilization of available resources and efficiencies, strengthening the role of the private sector in the economy, in addition to setting priorities and proposing practical initiatives that achieve the goals.

Mission To boost leading edge competitiveness of Dubai and the UAE at the global level, thus achieving welfare and prosperity for the , upgrading their standard of living, and developing their capabilities.

Vision Dubai as the frontier city, redefining global best practices in competitiveness, sustainability and resilience.

Copyright © 2021 Dubai Competitiveness Office, Department of Economic Development Dubai, Deira, Near Clock Tower, Business Village, Block A Tel : +971 4 4455555 Fax : +971 4 4455554 [email protected] www.dco.gov.ae