Dubai Culture introduces WiFi UAE Service at all of its Culture & Heritage Sites

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has introduced WiFi UAE service across all of its culture and heritage sites, concluding the project in Hatta Heritage Village.

This step follows the MoU signed last year with du - Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, one of the two providers of telecommunications services in the UAE, and is aligned with the Authority’s mandate to provide high quality facilities that support creativity, innovation and cultural exchange.

Mohamed Yousif Al Hammadi, Director of Information Technology Department at Dubai Culture, commented: “Providing Wi-Fi service across all of our culture and heritage sites demonstrates Dubai Culture’s commitment to supporting Smart Dubai – a citywide initiative that aims to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. Our goal is to enhance the overall visitor experience by keeping people connected, giving them easy access to online information sources, and encouraging them to share content via the Authority’s digital platforms. The introduction of Wi-Fi also furthers the Hatta Development Plan launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.”

Dedicated signage will ensure that visitors are aware of the new services provided by du, and assist them in connecting to the Internet while visiting Dubai Culture sites. Once connected, visitors will be encouraged to interact with Dubai Culture’s events and initiatives, which are regularly launched via the Authority’s digital platforms.

“At du, our aim is to enhance the lives of UAE residents through connectivity to bring our vision of an entirely connected city to life,” said Jihad Tayara, Vice President Business Development and Partnerships, du. “We are supporting the UAE’s Smart City ambition of bringing happiness to residents through the simple act of enabling communication for them. We are pleased to be partnering with Dubai Culture to further our initiatives and bring the option of free Wi-Fi to all public areas in Dubai.”

The WiFi UAE service offers users two types of Internet connection; WiFi UAE, a free WiFi service with high speed access to government websites and WiFi UAE Premium, an affordable paid service that allows users unrestricted upload and download speed. To access the premium WiFi service, users must have a SIM or SIM-free WiFi-capable device such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, gaming devices, etc.

The agreement sees du installing wireless internet connection points in culture and heritage locations across Dubai, and bringing WiFi UAE services to these sites for the very first time. To guarantee the reliability of the service, du will be responsible for its control, maintenance, testing and operation, while also providing the necessary network capacity to meet expansion requirements.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures, through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, esidents and visitors.

For more information, kindly visit:

Web: www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DubaiCultureArtsAuthority

Twitter: @DubaiCulture

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DubaiCulture

Instagram: @dubaiculture

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season - the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair, Middle East Film & Comic Con, SIKKA Art Fair - an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre - an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2016, and Dubai Next - a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae) - the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 17 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture will officially launch Etihad Museum and in December 2016. The museum will provide platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage.

For more information on Dubai Culture, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae