ICT Discovery

In line with the UAE vision and mission as a global leader in the field of ICT, and as part of its efforts to accelerate innovation and creativity in this sector, and based on its close collaboration with the ITU, the UAE has contributed, as an exclusive partner, in establishing ‘the ICT Discovery’, which has been opened in 25 October 2011 in the ITU headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland.

The ICT Discovery’s mission is to demonstrate the evolution journey of ICT and its bright future in an educational and recreational way, through interactive exhibitions and educational programs. The idea of the museum came from an initiative launched by the former ITU Secretary General Dr. Hamadoun Touré in 2008. It initially aimed at promoting the ICT sector, however, the UAE, represented by TDRA, developed the idea to include the history and documentation of the ITU as well as the ICT Sector in general and its impact on human life, through smart interaction between the museum and the visitor using smart electronic devices. 

The ICT Discovery highlights three key stations of the ICT history, focusing on the past, present, and the future of this sector, showing how ICT has completely transformed our lives. Moreover, the museum introduces the visitors to the main slogan of the ITU, which is commitment to connecting the peoples of the world, establishing an international information society, which is the ultimate objective of all the activities and initiatives of the Union, and enabling the ICT sector to serve the goals of sustainable development.

The first station presents the history of this sector, the formation of the ITU through telecommunications, telegraph and Radio. The Second station demonstrates the present of the sector. It shows the reached advanced technologies such as the 5G mobile services, the development of the satellite communications, marine services and means of rescue, indicating how the telecom sector responds to such types of emergencies and crises when occur. The third station introduces visitors to the future vision of telecom.

At each stage, the ICT Discovery illustrates the important role played by ITU in supporting the journey of technological development. Visitors can interact with technology such as using a telegraph device and sending telegraphic messages. They can also enjoy the games room where they can test earthquake, cyber-attacks, or coordinate emergency communications with the ITU. The ICT Discovery receives visitors free of charge, provides audiovisual guides via tablets, and guides are available in several languages.

The ICT Discovery includes a number of exhibits for companies looking to showcase and promote their products and services on a high-level. Furthermore, there are a number of sections for member states, such as the UAE Section, which is used to promote the UAE initiatives in this sector such as the UAE Space Agency, and the project of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center.

The UAE, represented by TDRA, shared a working paper with the ITU Council, which received a good response from the ITU Secretary General. The paper sets for a continuous process of development of the museum, as it is a constant process of innovation and creativity, which is in line with the UAE policy that has made the innovation a culture and general performance manifestation of various local and federal institutions. The working paper focused on making the ICT Discovery as a comprehensive encyclopedia that provides comprehensive information about the telecom sector in all countries of the world, to become a reference for researchers and students in this field.

Sheikh Zayed Hall

The UAE and the ITU signed an agreement to designate one of the main halls of the ITU building in Geneva, Switzerland, in the name of late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The agreement was signed by H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director General of the General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector, and Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), on the sidelines of the 2018 Plenipotentiary Conference hosted by the UAE in Dubai from October 29 to November 16.

This agreement coincides with UAE’s celebration of Year of Zayed, and is in recognition of the outstanding role played by the great late in supporting and developing ICT. Through his insightful future outlook, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has established a strong foundation for this sector, believing that telecommunications services are the backbone of UAE's development and its growth.

The hall will present the statements of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan on the importance of developing telecommunications, through displays, and posters in the hall and around its entrances

The late Sheikh Zayed had his indelible mark on the telecommunications sector. With the announcement of the Union in 1971, there were a number of companies and organizations that work in unison in the field of telecommunications, first of which was the Dubai Telephone Company which began its services in 1960, and then a number of companies working in the areas of telephony and telegraph were established in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

On the basis of his particular interest in the telecommunications sector at the time, Sheikh Zayed decided to look into a method that would give a strong momentum to the sector. In 1976, he issued a decree to merge all telephone and telegraph companies under one umbrella, the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat).

In the era of late Sheikh Zayed, in 1999, the UAE government launched Dubai Internet City as the first of its kind in the region, and the project quickly established itself as a platform for technology companies in the region as a whole.

Actors in UAE's ICT sector recognize that this move was the real breakthrough towards the major leaps achieved, which led the UAE today to occupy a leading and pioneering position in the global communications map, including its positive interaction with the international telecommunications sector through the ITU.