Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Municipality has launched the “Future Signals – Dubai Community Observatory” initiative, introducing a dedicated institutional communication channel through WhatsApp. The platform enables members of the community to contribute directly to Dubai Municipality’s strategic foresight activities, supporting its vision of becoming a leading municipality of a world-class city that adopts anticipation and future readiness as core principles for municipal development and for enhancing quality of life for residents and visitors.

The launch of the service forms part of Urban Future Week, hosted by the Museum of the Future in partnership with Dubai Municipality on 10 and 11 November. The event brings together leading thinkers, experts, and decision-makers from the UAE and around the world to discuss the future of urban planning and explore approaches that strengthen cities’ readiness for emerging challenges.

This smart service is the first of its kind to systematically distinguish between immediate operational reports and foresight signals. By separating current service requests from emerging opportunities, the initiative ensures rapid response to present needs while strengthening long-term planning and early opportunity identification.

His Excellency Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: “Municipal work today must be proactive. As the authority responsible for a rapidly growing global city, we are committed to effectively implementing the proactive municipality model in every aspect of daily urban life to ensure Dubai remains a city of exceptional quality of life, sustainability, and global appeal. The ‘Future Signals – Dubai Community Observatory’ initiative is a significant step that shifts our work and services from responding to current challenges toward anticipating and shaping future opportunities, by activating the collective intelligence of the community through a channel that captures weak signals which may appear minor today but will shape tomorrow’s reality.”

The “Future Signals – Dubai Community Observatory” platform invites every resident to serve as a “future spotter” by observing behavioural patterns, emerging opportunities, and early ideas that may influence the city’s development. This approach reinforces Dubai Municipality’s commitment to engaging the community in shaping solutions that enhance overall quality of life.