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Dubai Municipality wins Seoul Smart City Prize for AI-powered food safety initiative

• Prestigious award recognises Dubai Municipality’s FoodDXB.AI system under the ‘Tech-InnovaCity’ category.
• Initiative leverages artificial intelligence to strengthen food safety, enhance public health, and reinforce Dubai’s leadership as a model for inclusive future cities.
• FoodDXB.AI supports predictive food safety measures, benefiting more than 360,000 stakeholders in the food sector.

Dubai Municipality has won the Seoul Smart City Prize under the Tech-InnovaCity category, organised by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO). The award recognises the world’s most innovative smart city projects that prioritise human well-being, digital transformation, and inclusivity; reaffirming Dubai’s position as a leading global model for inclusive future cities focused on people, their development, and quality of life.

The Municipality received the award for its pioneering AI-powered Food Safety Ecosystem (FoodDXB.AI), which uses generative artificial intelligence to transform fragmented data into actionable insights that strengthen food safety regulation and enable real-time, evidence-based decision-making. The system represents a significant advancement in Dubai Municipality’s food safety operations, enhancing proactive prevention against food-related risks while supporting Dubai’s global competitiveness as a trusted food hub.

This system represents a significant leap forward for the Municipality in maintaining the highest standards of food safety and strengthening Dubai’s food sector, elevating the quality of life, health, and well-being of its residents. It is supported by an advanced artificial intelligence framework that enables a predictive approach across all technological systems used in food safety operations. This transformation further reinforces Dubai’s global leadership in ensuring the safety of 1.3 million types of food imported from more than 180 countries.

Dr Naseem Al Refaei, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, said: “We are proud of this pioneering technological achievement, which reflects the continuous efforts of our specialised teams in both technology and food safety to develop FoodDXB.AI. This digital innovation enhances Dubai Municipality’s ability to proactively predict and detect food safety risks, using AI-powered analysis and response. It supports our strategy to build a smart, sustainable city with a robust health and food ecosystem, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global leader in quality of life and well-being. We remain committed to achieving a fully AI-enabled food safety ecosystem by 2028.”

A transformative approach to food safety

With more than 90% of Dubai’s food — approximately nine million tonnes annually — imported through over 26,000 food establishments, FoodDXB.AI introduces a predictive, integrated approach that replaces traditional, reactive inspections. Built on decades of aggregated data, the platform applies machine learning models across systems such as Montaji+ and the Smart Inspection System to predict potential risks in imported food shipments, prioritise inspections, and safeguard public health.

Through its DMChecked application, part of the FoodDXB.AI ecosystem, the system also empowers more than 360,000 stakeholders in the food sector by providing a unified platform for self-assessment, training, and real-time notifications. This ensures efficient communication across the food supply chain and raises compliance standards throughout the sector.

Global recognition

The Seoul Smart City Prize is an annual global award that honours innovative and inclusive smart city projects prioritising human well-being and digital inclusivity, especially for marginalised communities. The Tech-InnovaCity category recognises policies, services, and solutions that harness advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, big data, and Industry 4.0 applications across mobility, health, environment, energy, and culture.