Dubai’s transport authority has announced the roll-out of the Smart Mall concept to four new metro stations.
The expansion to Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Station, Damac Station, Dubai Internet City Station and Emirates Towers Station is part of the Road and Transport Authority’s (RTA) plan to rank Dubai as the smartest city in the world.
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA, said: “The Smart Mall concept rolled out by RTA in collaboration with Etisalat is the first of its kind worldwide enabling Dubai Metro commuters a smart shopping experience via an interactive, high-definition 3D digital screen spanning nine square metres. It enables two persons to process their purchase transactions at a time,” said Al Tayer.
“The expansion of the Smart Mall initiative follows the success of the first experience of the project, which started with the selling of foodstuffs. More products will be added in the following phase such as clothes and electronics,” he added.
In the Smart Mall, the customer can choose from the items on show by adding them to the shopping cart. The customer can pay for items selected using a credit card, and the goods are delivered at the time and place specified by the customer.
The RTA said in a statement that it is considering other payment options such as NOL cards or mobile phone (Etisalat balance).
Salvador Anglada, chief business officer at Etisalat, said: “Digital & smart technologies pave the way for future life patterns of people in the UAE. We are proud of our excellent partnership with RTA in launching Phase II of the Smart Mall project following the success of the initial phase.”
