Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, launched a strategy to transform Dubai into a smart city on Wednesday.

Under the strategy, 1,000 government services will go smart in the next three years.

The strategy features six key pillars and 100 initiatives on transport, communications, infrastructure, electricity, economic services and urban planning.

''Our country is ushering into a new era for the improvement and development of quality of life through this gigantic project, which got under way through an unprecedented public-private partnership. This is aimed to make a new reality for all and change the city concept in terms of its residents and their smart phones,'' said Sheikh Mohammed.

''Our ambition is that this project touches the life of everyone in our country, or every mother in her house, or every employee in his work, or every investor in his project, or every child in his school, and doctor in his clinic. Our goal is to bring about happiness to all,'' Sheikh Mohammed added.

A number of top officials attended the launch ceremony.

Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said his department would encourage households and building owners to install photo voltaic solar panels to produce electricity.

“We will connect it to the grid and buy the excess of the generated electricity. This is to encourage the use of renewable energy,” he said.