Dubai has launched a new Digital Twin Platform, creating a virtual replica of the emirate that can be used to model infrastructure, simulate future scenarios and support urban planning. The platform, unveiled in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, is the latest step in Dubai's broader push to use data and emerging technologies to manage the city's growth. According to a statement issued by Dubai Media Office, Sheikh Hamdan said the project would help build "a city that is better prepared for the future" by improving planning and decision-making through advanced technologies and data. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical environment that is continuously updated with real-world data. The technology is increasingly being adopted by cities around the world as governments look for new ways to manage rapid urbanisation, climate risks and ageing infrastructure. Researchers increasingly view digital twins not simply as planning tools but as a new layer of digital infrastructure that can help cities model future growth, test policy decisions and assess risks before they unfold in the physical world. Cities such as Singapore and Helsinki have invested heavily in city-scale digital twins that can simulate everything from transport flows to climate risks. As artificial intelligence and cloud computing improve, many researchers believe digital twins will become an increasingly important tool for managing complex urban environments. Dubai has been experimenting with digital twin technologies for several years as part of its broader smart city strategy. The emirate has already experimented with several digital twin initiatives. One example is Dubai Live, a platform launched by Digital Dubai that aggregates geospatial and infrastructure data from multiple government entities and provides a shared digital map of the city.