The UAE is famous for constructing luxurious islands right in the sea. More recently Emiratis are employing technology to drive forward the nations’ ambitions to become a top tourist destination.

With its recently unveiled Noor Initiative, Miral, the developer of Abu Dhabi Yas Island aims to digitally transform the island.

The company recently announced its goal to become the region’s most influential and dynamic entertainment developer by 2025.

Miral is betting on big data and predictive data analytics to build a digital foundation and integrate innovation, according to Abdalla Al Zaabi, who rolled out the new strategy.

The Noor initiative is aimed at improving productivity and strengthening business efficiency while delivering personalized experiences for its wide variety of tourists on Yas Island.

CEO of Miral Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said:

“Today, businesses need to invest in innovative digital tools to equip and empower its people, decision making and performance. Evolving into a data-driven organization is an ambitious and bold strategy, launched within a defining year for Miral as we mark our 10-year anniversary.

“Big data and predictive analytics solutions are already central to Miral’s strategy for Yas Island, in use every day by visitors to our award-winning attractions to enrich their experiences and reinforce the island’s position as a leading global entertainment, leisure and business destination.”

He added that the Noor initiative would build on previous successful digital projects and customer-facing tools already enjoyed by guests on Yas Island.

Miral also has ambitions to become a ‘fully contactless destination’ which they aim to achieve through the use of FacePass, a cutting-edge contactless technology.

FacePass which has been rolled out in phases across the island is already streamlining guest experiences and improving safety and security by using facial recognition technology. Yas Theme Parks has been the first theme park in the MENA region to adopt FacePass.

Miral has also employed MyConnect, established in 2018 to provide digital connectivity all across Yas Island and its assets. With a unique Digital Guest ID called MyPass users remain hyper-connected and get a more targeted marketing approach. MyPass ID has so far accrued over a million guests registered since it was launched.

The adoption of digital technologies is slowly transforming Abu Dhabi into a technological hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Emiratis are finding new and innovative ways to apply digital technologies to improve the daily lives of their citizens.

Dubai’s use of facial recognition system, Oyoon in a drug bust is just another example of this genius.