Latest news with #digitalgovernment
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Crown Prince of Fujairah witnesses launch of first fully digital government service centre in emirate
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, witnessed the launch of the first fully integrated digital government services centre in Fujairah. The centre, inaugurated by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, represents a pioneering model at the national level for delivering smart, interconnected government services that rely entirely on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, metaverse, and blockchain technologies, without direct human intervention. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Al Sharqi said, 'Today, we take pride in launching the virtual digital services centre in Fujairah, which embodies the vision of our wise leadership toward building a future-ready government founded on innovation. This centre contributes to enhancing quality of life and facilitating services for citizens and residents alike. It stands as an advanced model of smart government services and reflects the ability of our national institutions to adopt and effectively leverage cutting-edge technologies—affirming the UAE's pioneering position in the field of digital government transformation.' H.H. the Crown Prince of Fujairah added, 'We applaud the efforts of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in developing an integrated digital service infrastructure that enhances government efficiency, improves the customer experience, and supports sustainable development in Fujairah, which continues to actively contribute to the nation's progress.' Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry, said, 'The centre represents a transformational shift in the delivery of government services, offering a groundbreaking experience built on artificial intelligence and hologram technology. This model is scalable across all emirates, enhancing the UAE's global competitiveness in the digital domain. Launching the centre in Fujairah reflects the leadership's vision of promoting balanced development and is a practical step within the Ministry's efforts to build a human-centred, interconnected government services ecosystem aligned with the goals of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision and the shift toward smart government.' He affirmed that the launch of the centre aligns with the National Strategy for Government Services, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This strategy aims to position the UAE as a global benchmark for the most efficient and innovative government services, translating the wise leadership's directives for the UAE to be number one globally in government service delivery. Eng Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services in the UAE Government, explained that the centre represents a pivotal step in the government's digital transformation journey and reflects government entities' ability to adopt the latest digital innovations to deliver an exceptional customer experience that aligns with the country's aspirations of delivering world-class services. He said, 'The centre serves as an advanced interactive platform for enabling customers to directly contribute to developing government services through innovative channels that allow them to submit their suggestions and feedback. This fosters integration among government entities, promotes a culture of community engagement, and establishes a flexible government environment capable of responding promptly to evolving needs.' The launch of the Digital Services Centre is part of the Ministry's broader plan to expand this innovative model across the UAE, in align with the UAE Government Services Strategy, and the Government Services Development Guide 2.0. The centre offers over 150 digital services, aiming to serve more than 20,000 users annually. Integrating smart systems that enhance operational efficiency and support data-driven decision-making, the centre provides a wide range of services from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in addition to a set of services from federal and local partner entities in the Emirate of Fujairah—offered through a unified and fully integrated digital experience. This contributes to simplifying procedures, saving time and effort, and improving quality of life, in line with the smart government approach that places people at the heart of its priorities. To mark the inauguration of the centre, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in collaboration with Emirates Post, has issued a commemorative stamp honouring H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE: MoEI organises first customer council on mortgage release procedure after loan repayment
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) organised its first customer council meeting dedicated to discussing the mortgage release procedure after loan repayment. The meeting aimed to enhance transparency, improve service efficiency, and gather feedback from beneficiaries. This initiative reflects the Ministry's commitment to customer-centric service development and continuous improvement of housing-related procedures in line with national smart government goals. Drawing the participation of representatives of federal and local government entities, Emirates Development Bank, and a host of customers, the council discussed the main challenges that previously hindered the ease of the mortgage release procedure. These challenges included the need for multiple visits, variations in required documents across emirates, and the lack of digital integration between relevant entities. These factors prolonged the customer journey and increased the procedural burden. The council members presented the new integrated model of the enhanced customer journey, designed in line with digital government principles. The model represents a shift from a traditional service approach to a seamless experience based on flexibility and excellence. Initially, the new model will be implemented in Ajman before it expands to other emirates. Key improvements include automatic cancellation of direct debit by the Emirates Development Bank upon repayment by the customer, without the need for manual intervention. The new model also eliminates the need for in-person visits in certain emirates to collect loan guarantees, further simplifying the process for customers. Additionally, the initiative activates digital integration between the Ministry, the bank, and the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation in the Government of Ajman, enabling automatic notification of all concerned parties upon transaction completion. These changes significantly reduce the service completion time to just one working day from the date of repayment. Overall, these enhancements reflect a fundamental transformation in the service delivery cycle. The new mortgage release service represents a practical model of governmental integration, where such collaboration has helped reduce the customer journey by up to 100 percent, by cutting the number of visits from 5 to 0, and the required documents from 6 to 0. This transformation reflects the UAE Government's commitment to implementing the principles of Zero Bureaucracy and turning government services into seamless, customer-centric experiences. Addressing council members and participants, Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, said, 'The Customer Council meeting aligns with the UAE Government's vision of building flexible and smart government services that place the customer at the heart of improvement and development. It reflects our commitment to involving customers in decision-making and enhancing transparency. The proposed solutions today are based on actual needs that have been identified and analysed within the framework of the Government Accelerators.' He added, 'We believe that achieving zero bureaucracy can only be realised through digital integration, streamlined procedures, and the elimination of unnecessary requirements—goals we have already begun to achieve through this initiative. The Ministry will continue working with its strategic partners to translate the outcomes of this council into concrete, actionable improvements that enhance customer satisfaction and elevate the UAE's global rankings in government service efficiency.' Eng. Mohammed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government, emphasised that customer councils are a key pillar in the efforts to achieve zero bureaucracy, as they represent the voice of the customer and serve as a direct source for understanding real-world challenges. This, he noted, contributes to redesigning government services in a more simplified, flexible, and efficient manner. He noted that the mortgage release service after loan repayment represents a significant leap in the level of integration between federal and local entities. Eng. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation in Ajman, stated that participation in the first customer council on mortgage release procedures comes as part of the strategic partnership with MoEI and in continuation of joint efforts to shape the future of the real estate sector and enhance the efficiency of government work through proactive service packages that keep pace with rapid development.
Tahawul Tech
01-06-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Bespin Global outline their mission to take public sector enterprises to the cloud
Bespin Global, an e& enterprise company outlined in detail how their agile product portfolio is designed to help public sector enterprise navigate and circumvent issues they face when migrating to public sovereign cloud models, during an exclusive roundtable held at the Ritz-Carlton JBR earlier this week. The roundtable was held in conjunction with CPI Media Group, and was moderated by CNME Editor Mark Forker. The topic of the roundtable was entitled, Next-Gen Governance: Powering the Future of Digital Government with Cloud. The series of presentations were delivered by the executive leadership from Bespin Global, which included; Mouteih Chaghlil, CEO of Bespin Global, Bassam Abbasi, Head of Network & Security, at Bespin Global and Sami Wahab, VP – Sales at Bespin Global. The roundtable was attended by IT leaders from the following public sector organisations. Abu Dhabi Mobility Sharjah Muncipality Smart Umm Al Quwain Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC) Dubai Legal Department EDGE Group Al Kuwait Hospital Dubai Dubai Culture & Arts Ministry of Finance Dubai Air Navigation Services The first session of the roundtable was delivered by Bespin Global CEO, Mouteih Chaghlil, who laid out how the company wants to be the partner of choice for public sector entities looking to accelerate their migration to the cloud. 'We know there are many challenges, and data classification is certainly a big one. What sort of data do I have, what is it, where is it, where does it need to reside, this sort of data classification needs to be determined, but it's not always black and white, and AI is only as good as the data you have. However, what we do know is that 32% of public sector entities in the UAE, KSA and Egypt are already utilising cloud-based customer engagement solutions, and 40% of them are planning to adopt cloud in the next few years. The opportunity is huge, and we know we have the capabilities to build secure and compliant hybrid/multi-cloud environments that support sovereignty and resilience,' said Chaghlil. There was a huge level of engagement and interaction between Chaghlil and those in attendance, with some outlining their desire to remain with SaaS cloud models. Chaghlil then highlighted how public services digitised with cloud and AI can really deliver localised innovation at scale. 'Our cloud-native solutions are tailored to national priorities and governance models. Our AI models trained on localised data ensure cultural and legal alignment. Integration with legacy systems enables a smooth transition without disruption and scalable infrastructure enables a rapid deployment of new services. In addition to this, having real-time access to unified data across agencies improves responsiveness and collaboration,' said Chaghlil. The next presentation was delivered by Bassam Abbasi, Head of Network & Security, at Bespin Global, and he stressed the importance of building a secure hybrid/multi cloud strategy in order to to ensure smooth migrations for mission-critical systems. There was a sharp focus on the role of AI in relation to cybersecurity, and how it builds that resilience and transparency that governments require. Abbasi insisted that people will remain at the core of digital transformation. 'Trust, transparency and control are critical, they are non-negotiable, and we get that. We can implement sovereign cloud models to protect sensitive citizen data, whilst maintaining that transparency on the data in line with clear governance rules and policies. We offer opt-in features and self-service options that ultimately empower users. At the end of the day, that is our goal, we want to take people with us in a way in which they maintain autonomy on the direction, but also have agility with accountability,' said Abbasi. Abbasi also highlighted how the landscape was change dramatically over the next few years. 'Within the next 1-3 years the picture is going to look a lot different due to the fact that public sector enterprises are going to pivot to either hybrid multi-cloud (33%), multiple public clouds (31%) or hybrid cloud (23%), with only 7% planning to remain solely in a datacentre, or private cloud. This change is driven by the need to modernize infrastructure to meet increasing demand for digital citizen services, improve the citizen experience, strengthen data security, and harness the power of emerging technologies. In addition, IT leaders are motivated to modernize their IT environment to prepare for future crises,' said Abbasi. The final presentation of the roundtable was delivered by Sami Wahab, VP – Sales at Bespin Global. His presentation examined the elements that come beyond migrations, and was focused on how Bespin can unlock innovation and increase efficiency in the public sector. He highlighted how Bespin Global's products can 'modernise workforces' across the public sector. 'We know we have the capability to boost productivity and enhance collaboration with our state-of-the-art modern workforce solutions with a secure framework that ensures seamless connectivity and data protection, and it is ultimately designed to transform the way you work. In summary, we design, develop and implement bespoke cloud solutions that specifically cater to your unique business needs,' said Wahab. Wahab concluded a brilliant presentation by giving those attendance some predictions that they envisage over the next few years. 'In terms of the multi-cloud, by 2027, 40% of enterprises will rely on interwoven IT architectures across cloud, core, and edge to support dynamic, location-agnostic workflow priorities. When it comes to GenAI on the cloud, by the end of this year, 70% of enterprises will form strategic ties to cloud providers for GenAI platforms, developer tools, and infrastructure, requiring new corporate controls for data and cost governance – and in terms of cloud data mobility, over the next 12 months, 55% of the G2000 will adopt multi cloud data logistic platforms to enable active data migration between hyperscalers to optimise costs, reduce vendor dependencies, and improve governance,' said Wahab.
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE participates in the 27th meeting of the Executive Committee for Digital Government in GCC countries
United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), participated in the 27th meeting of the Executive Committee for Digital Government in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The meeting was held in Kuwait, with the presence of Their Excellencies, heads of digital government authorities and programs in GCC countries, representatives of the General Secretariat, and several executive officials from Gulf digital entities. The UAE delegation was headed by H.E. Eng. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General for the Information and Digital Government Sector at TDRA. The committee discussed several important agenda items, including the follow-up on decisions from the previous (26th) meeting and reviewed progress on initiatives under the GCC Digital Government Guiding Strategy. The committee was also briefed on reports from technical working groups, including the Joint Digital Services Working Group, the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Working Group, and the Digital Trust Services Working Group. Commenting on the meeting, H.E. Eng. Mohammed Al Zarooni DDG for Information and DGOV sector stated: "Our participation in the 27th meeting of the Executive Committee for Digital Government in GCC countries marks a significant milestone in enhancing regional cooperation in digital transformation. The meeting featured productive discussions on developing unified strategies, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and shared digital services. This reflects a growing awareness of the need for continuous modernization of government systems and services in light of rapid technological advancements. In the UAE, we believe the future of governance lies in comprehensive digital transformation. Therefore, we are committed to actively contributing to the formulation of Gulf initiatives and policies that support sustainable development goals and foster regional integration. We look forward to continued constructive collaboration, especially in light of the future plans reviewed during the meeting.' The committee placed special focus on artificial intelligence initiatives, approving the development of a Gulf Guiding Strategy for Artificial Intelligence within the broader framework of the Digital Government Guiding Strategy. The meeting concluded with discussions on preparations for the 9th Ministerial Committee Meeting on Digital Transformation, including a review of the minutes and strategic recommendations from the 8th meeting. The UAE's participation in this meeting underscores its commitment to supporting joint Gulf efforts, enhancing digital infrastructure, and developing government services by adopting cutting-edge technologies—contributing to a comprehensive and sustainable digital future for the peoples of the Gulf. About TDRA : The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is responsible for regulating and developing the telecommunications and information technology sector in the United Arab Emirates, while also driving digital transformation at the national level. TDRA works to provide an advanced regulatory environment that supports innovation, stimulates investment, and ensures the delivery of cutting-edge and sustainable telecommunications services. The authority plays a pivotal role in leading the digital transformation journey by developing digital infrastructure, empowering the telecommunications sector, and enhancing the ecosystem of digital government services. TDRA is committed to improving the quality and continuity of digital services by establishing legislative and regulatory frameworks that foster innovation and strengthen the country's readiness to keep pace with rapid digital advancements. Its responsibilities include regulating the telecommunications sector to ensure competitiveness, protecting consumer rights, and maintaining a balance between service providers. Additionally, TDRA leads the national digital government strategy, manages the radio frequency spectrum, and regulates the use of wireless frequencies to support various sectors, including telecommunications and smart services. With a visionary approach, TDRA aims to position the UAE as a global hub for digital innovation and enhance its readiness for the digital future, in alignment with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the UAE Centennial 2071 Agenda.
Arabian Business
27-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE tops global digital dovernment rankings: Report
The UAE has secured first place in three global telecommunications and digital government indices, according to the second edition of the State of Digital Transformation Report released by the UAE's Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation during the Digital Readiness Retreat. The country ranked first globally in the UN indices for telecommunications infrastructure, institutional framework for digital government, and digital content. It also topped the digital knowledge index. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future in the UAE Government and Chair of the Committee, said digital readiness and transformation are central to the UAE leadership's vision, aiming to eliminate bureaucracy and enhance quality of life through technology, according to a statement by the Emirates News Agency (WAM). UAE leads world in telecommunications infrastructure rankings Al Roumi noted that the report tracks digital achievements over the past year, showcasing the UAE's leadership in global competitiveness indices related to digital governance. She said it is intended to motivate further efforts to meet national digital goals. The UAE also topped the 'Government AI Readiness Index 2024' by Oxford Insights, ranked third in government service delivery, and placed fourth in the GovTech Maturity Index according to the World Bank. The country came 11 th in both the IMD's Digital Competitiveness Index and the UN E-Government Development Index. Digital government efforts delivered savings of AED368 billion for users and AED20 billion in government cost reductions. The transformation saved 530 million labour hours and cut carbon emissions by 55.8 million tonnes. The report highlights the UAE government's digital achievements across 12 sectors: economy, finance, human resources, health, education, community development, culture and youth, immigration and foreign affairs, security and justice, infrastructure and energy, logistics, and environment. In 2024, UAE federal government entities processed 173.7 million digital transactions. Federal websites attracted 131.5 million visits, and government apps were downloaded 26.3 million times. The government now offers 1,419 digital services, including 195 classified as priority services. Digital services achieved a satisfaction rate of 91 per cent, with more than 57 million users benefiting. There are currently 460 digital transformation projects running across federal agencies. UAE pass serves 10.8 million users as country achieves top global digital government rankings The UAE Pass digital identity system serves 10.8 million users and connects to 15,000 services, supporting 2.6 billion integrated digital transactions. The economic sector completed 5.2 million tax transactions digitally, alongside 316,800 certificates of origin and 64,100 trademark registration and renewal requests. The finance sector processed 8,300 vendor registrations, 2,500 financial market employee accreditations, and 1,000 foreign investment fund renewals. The sector handled 13.2 million work permit applications and 8 million employment contract transactions. The 'Jahiz' digital learning platform delivered 1.2 million training hours. Healthcare services filled 2 million prescriptions using robotic pharmacies and conducted 1 million chest X-rays using artificial intelligence. Medical professionals held 437,900 remote consultations. The education sector delivered digital learning to 1.4 million individuals and processed 445,700 university course registrations. Community services answered 115,600 digital inquiries and completed 243,800 zakat and donation transactions, as well as 125,700 digital requests for fatwas and zakat calculations. The justice and security sector processed 4.2 million traffic fine payments, 1.5 million vehicle registrations, and 417,800 criminal record certificate applications digitally. The identity and residency sector handled 4.7 million Emirates ID renewals, 1.6 million private sector residency permit renewals, and 596,200 digital document attestations. Infrastructure and logistics services completed 5,900 housing assistance requests, issued 68,500 national transport permits, and granted 3,000 nuclear activity licenses. Environmental authorities processed 76,600 plant health certificates, 39,600 veterinary export certificates, and 59,900 agricultural product clearance transactions. The culture sector issued 2,400 library memberships, registered 368 cultural artefacts, and fulfilled 162 event space rental requests.
