Dubai Municipality (DM) will go live with an integrated data platform that would allow it to share extensive data to the public domain and aggregate specific government services by the first quarter of 2016.

This project will streamline processes and increase operational efficiencies across various government entities in Dubai.

For example, the integrated platform will provide an interface for trade license application or renewal, which is within the remit of the Dubai Economic Development and is among the most frequently used government services. The planned integrated platform builds on the municipality’s previous electronic and mobile government initiatives, each entailing the provision of the majority of public services through the internet and mobile platforms, respectively.

“This platform is a key project in line with our goal to establish a policy framework to make data available to the public, both corporate and individuals,” explained Mohammed Abdullah al-Zaffin, DM’s IT director.

It is understood that data sets that would be made available to the public through the integrated platform include those related to environment and pollution management. Currently, there are sensors installed across Dubai that monitor specific environmental parameters such as seismic activities and pollution levels.

Data captured by these sensors are then sent to a central server for analysis and required action. Making this data available online for urban planners and other real-estate stakeholders will significantly reduce the number of visits required to the DM offices when planning a new project. The DM is also understood to be working with a major IT supplier in developing a strategy to clean up these data before they could be shared publicly.

Dubai Municipality is a member of the Dubai Open Data Committee.