Dubai, March 07, 2019: As part of the Smart Cities Global Network initiative, Smart Dubai held its first in a series of networking events titled Smart Talks, organised in collaboration with the Swedish Trade and Invest Council of Business Sweden, at its headquarters.

The inaugural event discussed the concept and prospects of a cashless society and was organised on the back of an MoU Smart Dubai signed with Business Sweden in February 2018, which seeks to encourage cooperation and knowledge exchange between the UAE and the Kingdom of Sweden with regards to advanced technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai, addressed attendees in the opening ceremony, as did H.E. Henrik Landerholm, Ambassador of Sweden to the UAE and H.E. Massoud Biouki, Trade Commissioner of Sweden to the UAE.

Smart Dubais Smart Cities Global Network is the largest international network of smart city stakeholders, bringing together partners involved in advanced technology, Fourth Industrial Revolution breakthroughs, smart living and spreading happiness in the community with tech-enabled, human-centric services. The network has so far enlisted more than 300 members and has representatives from governments, the private sector, research centres, academic institutes and the media.

We are here to explore the concept of a cashless society and who better to look towards in this regard than Sweden. The Nordic country has become synonymous with cashless transactions and is well on its way to becoming the worlds first completely cashless society by March 2023. Dubai and the UAE have their own ambitions for a cashless society and these aspirations have been expedited as Dubai rapidly transforms into a full-fledged smart city said H.E. Dr Aisha.