The Dubai 10X Initiative
AN INITIATIVE OF DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION “Always being 10 years ahead of other world cities – thinking out of the box” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai called on all Dubai Government entities to embrace disruptive innovation as a fundamental mantra of their operations and to seek ways to incorporate its methodologies in all aspects of their work. Disruptive innovation refers to exploiting available technologies to deliver new or existing services in radically different ways that are design-thinking-based and customer-focused, in contrast to incremental innovation, which focuses on making good services better for existing customers. Instead, disruptive innovation will create new operating and business models that replace traditional services and provide multiple times the value for end users and customers. X-Units for each government entity: The first requirement is for every government entity to set up – and staff with adequate resources – an independent X-Unit mandated with the objective of finding ways to disrupt their own organization’s practices and develop their own moonshot solutions to deliver beyond their mission. Trial and scale radically disruptive organizational structures, systems and technologies: The second requirement is for government entities to develop systems, processes and labs to trial and scale radically disruptive technologies and approaches in order to deliver on their respective missions. This plan will also need to involve reviewing and reconsidering the traditional organizational structure and hierarchies of government organizations and finding new structures that facilitate creative innovation and disruption. Partnering with and facilitating disruptive solutions and removing regulatory obstacles: The third requirement is to develop processes and methodologies that will allow each Dubai government entity to work with truly disruptive companies and start-ups that radically offer better services or allow Dubai’s residents to lead a happier life. Regulatory obstacles facing such disruptive companies should also be removed to allow for their uninterrupted operations.
