Dubai Digital Wins GCC Digital Government Award for Best Open Data Initiative

The winners were honoured at a ceremony in Manama organised by Bahrain's Information and eGovernment Authority. Younis Al Nasser, chief executive of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Dubai Digital, accepted the award.

The portal gives government entities, private companies, researchers and innovators a single point of access to Dubai's official figures. According to the statements, the aim is to support planning, decision-making and the development of digital products and services.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, director general of Dubai Digital, said the authority treats data as a strategic asset and a driver of economic development and competitiveness. He linked continued investment in data to the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33. He also said leadership among cities now depends less on owning advanced technology than on putting data, knowledge and AI to use in building more efficient and proactive governments.

Al Nasser said the award reflected work across Dubai government entities to build a data system based on quality, governance and availability. He added that the growing use of AI makes trusted data more important as the foundation for effective solutions.

The GCC Digital Government Award was launched in 2009 as a platform for Gulf governments to share experience and encourage innovation in digital services.

Why It Matters

Open, well-governed public data is increasingly treated as basic infrastructure for AI, both for government agencies building their own tools and for companies that rely on official statistics. The award comes as UAE federal and emirate-level bodies, including Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, set targets to move large parts of their services and operations to agentic AI. For businesses and researchers working in Dubai, the quality and coverage of Bayanat.Dubai will matter as those programmes scale.