When Dubai’s District 2020 opens later this year, German engineering firm Siemens will be among the first to move in. Hundreds of its employees will relocate to a building near Al Wasl Dome. The business has promised to implement cutting-edge technology throughout the new neighborhood, including its “smart city” app, which attempts to save residents money on energy.
It aspires to be the UAE’s first 15-minute city, meaning that residents can get anywhere they need in a quarter of an hour on foot or by bike. Now, Siemens Middle East CEO Helmut von Struve has explained for the first time what his company’s presence there means for locals and how its technology — which was successfully deployed at Expo 2020 Dubai, covering an area twice the size of Monaco — could change their lives. Mr Von Struve told The National, “We are incredibly glad that we have the option to stay here.” “This is an incredible future opportunity.”