Networking a sustainable future

Eman Al Awadhi and her team at Expo City Dubai crafted a sustainable and efficient network using existing infrastructure, setting a new standard for eco-conscious event hosting.

Story highlights

Challenges

  • Selected to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in 2023
  • COP summits are built on greenfields due to their requirements for robust, seamless, and secure networks.
  • Expo City Dubai wanted to reuse the existing network infrastructure for a sustainable solution

Results

  • A robust network connecting 70,000 delegates in 120 buildings over two weeks.
  • Repurposed and utilized more than 90% of the existing network infrastructure.
  • Network reprovision cost 1/5 an equivalent greenfield based on prior COP events.
  • Zero IT incidents or emergencies reported for the entire event duration.

The story

I believe sustainability should be at the heart of any smart city. Choosing the right technology, shared knowledge, and putting people first, this is how we get to be human-centric city.

Eman Al Awadhi, Vice President Network and Cyber Security, Expo City Dubai

Industry: Media and entertainment

Company size: 3,000 employees

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates