Dubai Silicon Oasis
Encyclopedia
Dubai Silicon Oasis is a 7.2km² free zone
in Dubai
with special benefits to companies operating within it. And providing various infrastructure services.
incentives and benefits to companies operating within the tech park.
Dubai Silicon Oasis’ (DSO) spans 7.2 km². The Authority has made a large capital investment in its infrastructure to cater to the need of high tech industries in the free zone, this ranges from advanced telecommunications, a fibre optic network, tier 3 data centre with 120 high capacity racks, and a high-tech utility infrastructure with 8 power stations with a capacity of 1600 MW.
The technology park possesses a combined fire, water and irrigation supply system which is supported by a pump station and a 5000 m³ underground irrigation tank. A sanitary water network is also provided giving potable water supply of 44,525 m³ per day based on an estimated 162,400 population working and/or living at the Silicon Oasis. DSO has a sewerage management system includes onsite pumping stations that transport wastewater to municipal plants through a new pressure pipeline. Current capacity of the sewage management system is 3,000 m³ per day (of which the technology park currently uses approximately a third) with a planned expansion set to see the capacity increased to 10,000 m³ to facilitate the community’s future growth.
In addition, DSO has a fully completed network of roads allowing quick in and out access to Dubai
’s major highways.
A) IT
, telecom, electrical, electronic, engineering
and related activities e.g. mobile and internet technologies, software, data centre and arabized/localised technologies.
B) Consultants, law firms, finance institutions, etc.
C) Bio-tech, automobile, aerospace
, oil and gas, alternative energy
and many others
All major activities of doing business can be accommodated within DSO including:
As an authority of the Government of Dubai DSOA is the municipal body of the free zone which issues all types of licenses as well as the following services:
Dubai Circuit Design Centre - Dubai Circuit Design Centre (DCDC) (www.dcd.ae) is the region’s first advanced integrated circuit (IC) design centre.
Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T) Dubai - In partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology based in Rochester, New York, DSO has established RIT Dubai to ensure the DSO community has a pool of skilled hi-tech professionals.
DSO Incubation Centre - DSO runs an incubator centre to support technology entrepreneurs. The centre’s incubator program is designed to successful develop young entrepreneurs and their businesses by providing a support resources and services.
DSO Technology & Investment - DSO is dedicated to technology and as result has set up a dedicated Technology & Investment Generation (TIG) team which acts as a strategic investment arm for Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA). The aim of the unit is to identify, foster and invest in high-tech business opportunities. To this extent DSO offer incentive programs to attract technology-based companies to establish their presence at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO). These include 30% reduced costs and investment incentives such as subsidised lease rates, EDA tools, and staff accommodation.
Community features include:
Cedre Villas
Cedre Villas is a gated community of 1047 spacious villas located within Dubai Silicon Oasis. Developed by renowned UAE developer Arabtech, there are 3, 4 and 5 bedrooms villas in four sizes Luxury (with private swimming pool), Executive, Twin and Town House ranging from a built up area of 356 sq m to 676 sq m. The villas also come in a range of different exterior styles; Arabic, Modern or Traditional.
The villas are available to buy and lease. In 2009, Cedre Villas was classified as a ‘freehold’ area allowing both locals and foreigners (expat
s) to possess free hold ownership of their property.
Courtesy : Chirenj Chandran
Free Zone
Free Zone may refer to:*A free economic zone or free port, an area with relaxed customs, immigration, visa, and/or taxation jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
with special benefits to companies operating within it. And providing various infrastructure services.
Introduction
Established in 2004, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) (www.dso.ae) is wholly owned by the Government of Dubai providing both a living and working integrated community. Silicon Oasis is a Free Zone Authority and provides free zoneFree Zone
Free Zone may refer to:*A free economic zone or free port, an area with relaxed customs, immigration, visa, and/or taxation jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
incentives and benefits to companies operating within the tech park.
Dubai Silicon Oasis’ (DSO) spans 7.2 km². The Authority has made a large capital investment in its infrastructure to cater to the need of high tech industries in the free zone, this ranges from advanced telecommunications, a fibre optic network, tier 3 data centre with 120 high capacity racks, and a high-tech utility infrastructure with 8 power stations with a capacity of 1600 MW.
The technology park possesses a combined fire, water and irrigation supply system which is supported by a pump station and a 5000 m³ underground irrigation tank. A sanitary water network is also provided giving potable water supply of 44,525 m³ per day based on an estimated 162,400 population working and/or living at the Silicon Oasis. DSO has a sewerage management system includes onsite pumping stations that transport wastewater to municipal plants through a new pressure pipeline. Current capacity of the sewage management system is 3,000 m³ per day (of which the technology park currently uses approximately a third) with a planned expansion set to see the capacity increased to 10,000 m³ to facilitate the community’s future growth.
In addition, DSO has a fully completed network of roads allowing quick in and out access to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
’s major highways.
Location
DSO is within close proximity to Dubai’s major transport and business hubs.- 15 mins from Dubai International AirportDubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
- 10 mins from Business District
- 20 mins from Jebel Ali Port and Port Rashid
Clients
Philips, Fujitsu, AMD, Western Digital, Synopsys, Corning and Schneider Electric are some of the companies operating in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Companies that are able to operate at DSO include those in the following sectors:A) IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, telecom, electrical, electronic, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and related activities e.g. mobile and internet technologies, software, data centre and arabized/localised technologies.
B) Consultants, law firms, finance institutions, etc.
C) Bio-tech, automobile, aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
, oil and gas, alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
and many others
All major activities of doing business can be accommodated within DSO including:
- Company headquarter offices, sales & marketing, support offices training, etc.
- ImportImportThe term import is derived from the conceptual meaning as to bring in the goods and services into the port of a country. The buyer of such goods and services is referred to an "importer" who is based in the country of import whereas the overseas based seller is referred to as an "exporter". Thus...
/exportExportThe term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
, distributionDistribution (business)Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
, testing and checking, labelling, packaging. - AssemblyAssembly-Politics:* Deliberative assembly, An organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions* Freedom of assembly, the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests...
- ManufacturingManufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
Benefits
DSO clients are offered a number of benefits operating within the technology park. These include:- 100% foreign ownershipForeign ownershipForeign ownership refers to the complete or majority ownership/control of a business or resource in a country by individuals who are not citizens of that country, or by companies whose headquarters are not in that country.-See also:...
- 100% repatriation of capital
- Zero Income taxIncome taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
- Zero corporate taxCorporate taxMany countries impose corporate tax or company tax on the income or capital of some types of legal entities. A similar tax may be imposed at state or lower levels. The taxes may also be referred to as income tax or capital tax. Entities treated as partnerships are generally not taxed at the...
- Low cost of operations
- State of the art IT infrastructure and facilities with tier 3 data centre
- Fast-track business set-up & licensing
- Dedicated business support services including integrated online E-Business system offering tenants fast and efficient services at the touch of a button
- Access to regional pool of talented technical and engineering professionals
- Stable and clear regulation
- Access to consumer markets of 5 billion people (Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Indian SubcontinentIndian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
).
In-house Services
The Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) provides a comprehensive range of in-house business and government services in order to fulfil all legal and operational requirements. All services are provided directly by DSOA under one roof.As an authority of the Government of Dubai DSOA is the municipal body of the free zone which issues all types of licenses as well as the following services:
- Company licenses (issuance and renewal)
- Work permitWork permitWork permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
s - Employee visas
- Family residence visas
- Customs clearance
- For companies opting to construct their own facility at the tech park, issuance of building permits, design approval, certificate of completion and other permits are all obtained through DSOA.
Facilities
DSO offers an array of high-quality facilities to businesses operating within DSO. These include:- Offices
- Light Industrial Units used for multiple use for Warehousing and Manufacturing
- Land for development company’s own facility
Offices
DSO has a total capacity of 97,740 sq m of commercial space dedicated to offices for lease clients can lease from.- Area of 15 m² to full floors reaching 5000 m².
- High speed internet & VoIP connections.
- AvayaAvayaAvaya Inc. is a privately held computer networking, information technology and telecommunications company that is a global provider of business communications systems. The international head quarters is in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States...
communications system. - Tier 3 data centre
- UPSUnited Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
system back up - False ceiling, raised flooring with power floor boxes
- Semi furnished offices with maintenance, daily cleaning and a Help Desk services provided
Ecosystem
DSO has created a hi-tech eco-system in order to promote technological collaboration and innovation. DSO identifies six key elements for its high-tech ecosystem: large enterprises, start ups & medium-sized businesses, universities and an incubation centre, venture capital funds, a hi-tech infrastructure and government & business services.Dubai Circuit Design Centre - Dubai Circuit Design Centre (DCDC) (www.dcd.ae) is the region’s first advanced integrated circuit (IC) design centre.
Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T) Dubai - In partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology based in Rochester, New York, DSO has established RIT Dubai to ensure the DSO community has a pool of skilled hi-tech professionals.
DSO Incubation Centre - DSO runs an incubator centre to support technology entrepreneurs. The centre’s incubator program is designed to successful develop young entrepreneurs and their businesses by providing a support resources and services.
DSO Technology & Investment - DSO is dedicated to technology and as result has set up a dedicated Technology & Investment Generation (TIG) team which acts as a strategic investment arm for Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA). The aim of the unit is to identify, foster and invest in high-tech business opportunities. To this extent DSO offer incentive programs to attract technology-based companies to establish their presence at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO). These include 30% reduced costs and investment incentives such as subsidised lease rates, EDA tools, and staff accommodation.
Community
The DSO community possesses a range of residential and lifestyle facilities which include schools, universities, hospitals, community centres, shopping complexes, swimming pools and tennis courts. The DSO community has been landscaped with green parks, interconnected courtyards, and children’s play areas in addition to 24 hour security, daily maintenance and a fully completed road network.Community features include:
- Residential Villas and Apartments
- Education - Educational institutions such as RIT Dubai, GEMS School and International Indian High School.
- Shops & Services - Supermarkets, retail outlets, banks, post office, health clinic, restaurants, cafes, etc.
- Leisure & Lifestyle - Community centres, play areas, swimming pools and parks.
Cedre Villas
Cedre Villas is a gated community of 1047 spacious villas located within Dubai Silicon Oasis. Developed by renowned UAE developer Arabtech, there are 3, 4 and 5 bedrooms villas in four sizes Luxury (with private swimming pool), Executive, Twin and Town House ranging from a built up area of 356 sq m to 676 sq m. The villas also come in a range of different exterior styles; Arabic, Modern or Traditional.
The villas are available to buy and lease. In 2009, Cedre Villas was classified as a ‘freehold’ area allowing both locals and foreigners (expat
Expat
Expat may refer to:* A shortened version of the term expatriate* Expat : A stream-oriented XML parser* Expat License: Free software license used for XML parser Expat, sometimes known as MIT License...
s) to possess free hold ownership of their property.
Accidents & Incidents
On 3 September 2010, UPS Flight 6, operated by Boeing 747-44AF N571UP crashed shortly after take-off, killing both crew and destroying the aircraft. N571UP was operating an international cargo flight to Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany. The aircraft barely missed Silicon Oasis, terrifying many residents.Courtesy : Chirenj Chandran
External links
- Dubai Silicon Oasis Official webpage
- Roschester Institute of Technology, Dubai Official webpage
- Dubai Circuit Design Official webpage
- The Silicon Oasis Community website (unofficial) - run by Chris Tan