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UAE homes most connected

Launching an app or digital solution is now a routine in the UAE, as the young and old both embrace tech-savvy lifestyle which is redefining future digital spectrum.
Leading analysts from Digital McKinsey and Euromonitor International in their recent research reports have highlighted that the UAE government is ranked number one in digital adoption among Middle Eastern countries and matches the digital frontier countries.
Among the Middle Eastern countries studied, the UAE has the highest digital identification - a metric that is based on multiple indicators such as access to services, digital signature, and card features. The country is also engaged in various digitisation initiatives, such as expanding broadband coverage and creating a unified smart-city platform.
The households will be recognised as digital consumption units, says a Euromonitor International in its latest research 'The Future Consumer Households in 2030'. As consumers become more digitally savvy in both developed and emerging markets, households will increase interest in smart homes and other digital services. As the population ages, elderly people in single-person homes will drive demand for remote healthcare services, daycarers, e-health and mobility-assisting services.
Digital McKinsey further states that the Middle East is on the verge of a massive digital disruption. In the past decade, the cross-border data flow connecting the Middle East to the world has increased by more than 150-fold. Several countries - including the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar - are leading the digital consumer charge, with high smartphone adoption rates and social media use. However, digitisation is uneven from country to country, and businesses and governments across the board have struggled to keep up. Building on a history of innovation, the region has the chance to transform itself into a leading digital economy - and to realise significant economic benefits - if it can bring stakeholders together to focus on developing the region's governance, business, funding, and talent.Citizens themselves are leading the Middle East's digitisation charge. As measured by digital consumer adoption, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain are among the top countries in the world, with more than 100 per cent smartphone penetration and more than 70 per cent social media adoption - even higher than the United States.
"The world today is connected like never before as a result of Internet of Things (IoT). In 2000, there were about 200 million things connected to the internet and Cisco estimates the number of connected entities - people or items or smart devices to increase to a staggering 500 billion by 2030. By 2020, we expect around seven connected devices for every person in the world, where they will not just be connected but hyper-connected," said Scott Manson, Cyber Security Leader for Middle East and Turkey, Cisco.
Many homes today have smart televisions, giving hackers an opportunity to gain access with the potential of spying on its users. There are many smart homes today that have home automation systems that control every aspect of their home - from temperature and lighting to home security systems - making this possibly one of the biggest IoT risks. With a stroke of a key, cyber criminals could gain access to the security system, gaining entry into a home without the alarm system going off.
Anis Sajan, managing director, Danube, said: "As we all know digitisation is the future, and companies these days are constantly shifting to digital spaces. As we progress as per the different facets of digitisation our operations become more and more vulnerable and I believe the biggest challenge in the future will be security and how organisations can secure their operations. The industry will see a huge shift in spend on security devices and programmes to help secure business as well as homes. In terms of development, I am sure that digitisation will help fasten not only production and construction but almost all aspects of the economy."
The rapid globalisation of Internet access is digitising households at an unprecedented rate. By 2030, the majority of the world's homes will have unlocked access to services including online video, gaming, social media, e-commerce, banking, e-health and e-education, among others. Over 2016-2030, the number of homes with household heads with higher education globally will increase by around 100 million while annual household expenditure on education will rise by $200 billion by 2030. Improved education will enable more knowledgeable consumption of online banking products, internet loans, mortgages, various cryptocurrencies and digital wallet services, enhancing consumer capability.
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com