Dubai, July 4, 2019 – Arabian Business magazine has selected Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai, as one of the world’s most influential Arabs for 2019 – a list that included high-profile Arab leaders in government, finance, and business.

H.E.’s inclusion in the list comes in recognition of her leading role in the smart city sector worldwide, with her heading the establishment of the Smart Dubai Office and its ongoing development into a global role model for smart city transformation. Dr Aisha has also made significant contributions to the efforts shaping the future digital landscape around the world by leading a host of international initiatives and playing a major part in global happiness efforts.

H.E. Dr Aisha is an inspirational figure, a champion of government innovation, and a world-class speaker at international forums on smart-city building, digital transformation, and the adoption of advanced technologies to create experiences that enrich the lives of community members. She is the first woman in the world to lead an entire city’s smart transformation.

Furthermore, Dr Aisha led the creation of “The Smart City Index” – the first-ever benchmark for smart city implementation across the globe in cooperation with ITU and the UN. She also heads The Council of Happy Cities part of the World Happiness Council, is the Chairperson of the SDG 11 Global Council, and is the only female from the Middle East to be a member of the Gartner Global CIO Research Board.  Additionally H.E serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Councils, and The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s Smart Cities Readiness Index Team, an initiative also led by WEF. Dr Aisha has represented Smart Dubai in several prestigious events around the world such as the Smart Cities Expo World Congress, South by South West and Mobile World Congress.