Kavan Choksi Talks About How Virtual Twins Are Reimagining Urban Life in the UAE

The UAE is embracing digital twin technology to transform how cities are managed and developed. By creating real-time virtual replicas of urban environments, government agencies and planners can simulate changes, test responses, and fine-tune daily operations. Kavan Choksi explains that these digital twins function as living models of physical cities, helping policymakers address complex challenges with precision and foresight. 

Unlike static data platforms, digital twins integrate streams of live information from sensors, satellites and systems across infrastructure, utilities, and mobility networks. The result is a parallel digital environment that mirrors the actual city in real-time, allowing decisions to be made with a clearer understanding of current conditions and future implications. 

Predictive Modeling for Better Planning 

Digital twins are powerful tools for predictive modeling. Planners can simulate traffic changes, test the impact of new infrastructure, and forecast energy demand based on projected population growth. In places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, these tools are already influencing how new districts are zoned, how roads are optimized, and how water resources are distributed. 

Through simulation, cities can identify inefficiencies before they cause disruption. It allows adjustments to be made without physical trial and error. This ability to model different futures provides a level of preparedness and agility that is especially important in fast-growing urban areas. 

Sustainability and Systems Efficiency 

As the UAE advances its sustainability goals, digital twins offer a critical advantage. They allow real-time tracking of carbon emissions, energy usage, and building performance. Planners can adjust building materials, lighting systems, or landscaping plans based on how they influence temperature and energy consumption in the modeled environment. 

Digital twins also support circular economy strategies by tracking resource flows and identifying opportunities to reduce waste. Urban farming, smart irrigation, and district cooling systems can be optimized to perform better across seasons and scenarios. These insights are essential in regions facing extreme climates and limited natural resources. With digital modeling, sustainability can be engineered into the very foundation of urban design. 

Emergency Preparedness and Real-Time Response 

Beyond daily management, digital twin cities are becoming essential for disaster preparedness. Emergency scenarios like floods, fires, or cyberattacks can be simulated with high accuracy. It helps cities design faster response protocols, test them virtually, and train teams for real-world events. 

In the UAE, where resilience is a core priority, these capabilities are integrated into broader risk management frameworks. Digital twins allow agencies to monitor threats as they develop and coordinate responses across departments with shared real-time data. It creates a city infrastructure that is not only smart but also responsive and adaptive under pressure. 

The Future of Parallel City Governance 

As digital twin technology develops, its scope expands. These platforms may soon allow residents to engage directly with digital models of their neighborhoods, offering feedback or exploring planned developments in immersive formats. 

Policy decisions could be informed not just by expert simulations but also by community interactions with these digital environments. Kavan Choksi emphasizes that the UAE’s early investment in digital twin cities positions it as a leader in urban intelligence. By building parallel realities that inform and enhance the physical world, the country is creating a governance model rooted in precision, participation and proactive thinking.