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Issue 125 - March 2014 The Official Magazine of Dubai Smart Government
UAE Government Summit:
Global destination for government excellence
A review of DSG automates “Dubai Government
Doing Business Report in operations of Dubai towards 2021” and
the UAE – 2014 Ambulance mGovernance benefits
eVi sions
Our country has one work team: mature students
and employees with leadership skills
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler
of Dubai, is known for his novel approach that no one
can predict. His is a vision that precedes its time with
major government initiatives and a deadline for completion,
which must be achieved by government entities to ensure
excellence and innovation.
No sooner did the work teams from these government
entities reach the finish line, than HH Sheikh Mohammed
surprised them with another initiative, making everybody
realize his philosophy that ‘in the race for excellence, there
is no finish line.’ We are therefore compelled to move fast on
the track of excellence, before another round or new initiative
begins, as we must realize that HH Sheikh Mohammed
is constantly thinking of the happiness of his people and
coming up with newer goals to be achieved.
***
We are gradually becoming used to these new initiatives
from our leadership and their commitment to excellence and
innovation. At the second Government Summit, we actually
saw and felt the leadership’s trust in the younger generation
that together is working towards transforming the federal and
local government into a world-class capital of government
excellence.
It was in this context that HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of face anticipated challenges, but at the same time we are
Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, opened new confident that we will surmount these challenges by relying
prospects for the future government when he launched on our nationals and their qualifications. This allied with
the Dubai Government Initiative 2021, which adopts best Dubai’s many successful experiences and the emirate’s
international standards to improve government practices and robust and modern technological structure will ensure the
services to ensure the happiness, comfort and satisfaction success of the Dubai Government Initiative 2021.
of the people. However, the next stage needs the concerted efforts and
This initiative has a roadmap drawn up to the year 2021 to potentials of all Dubai government entities for its success.
provide advanced services which will be customized toward It also requires these entities to co-operate positively to
individual customers. It will work on a single, seamless reach the smart government of the future in Dubai within
platform with each customer having a unique identification the deadline set by the leadership. It is guided by a unified
number to personalize transactions and run all accounts strategy that grants safe and highly professional access to
through a unified call centre for all government entities. So, the 2021 vision, particularly as we have the support of our
the future Dubai government will go beyond the concept of leadership, which gives us a positive energy that constitutes
efficiency and provide smart and instant services for the first a strong motive for innovation. For it was HH Sheikh
time in the world. Mohammed who said: “Our country has one work team - the
*** biggest and best team of mature students and employees
In our vocabulary there is nothing impossible any longer with leadership skills.”
as the only option we have is to succeed in a rapidly
changing world. Innovation, and nothing else, has become
the world’s most important commodity. We are aware Director-General,
that as is the case with all leading mega projects. We will Dubai Smart Government Department
Issue 125 - March 2014 1
Our Vision
The vision of Dubai Smart Government is to ease the lives
of people and businesses interacting with the government and
w w w. d s g . g o v . a e contribute to establishing Dubai as a leading economic hub.
Dubai Smart Government’s mission is to achieve a virtual
government through the provision of high-quality customer
focused eServices for individuals, businesses and government
departments and to promote eServices adoption through customer
management.
Dubai Smart Government promotes eServices through
The Official Magazine of www.dubai.ae - the unified official portal for Dubai Government
Dubai Smart Government that provides all residents and businesses of the emirate with more
than 1500 electronic services.
e4all is the official magazine of Dubai Smart Government, and
Editorial helps in creating awareness of eServices to all segments of society
and spreading an electronic culture for the well-being of all.
Executive Editor
Ahmad Bin Humaidan Content
ahmad.binhumaidan@dsg.gov.ae
Issue 125 - March 2014
Chief Editor
P. 4
Amer Al Hamayda
amer.alhamayda@dsg.gov.ae
4
Magazine Coordinator UAE Government
Jamal Khalifa Almulla Summit: Global
jamal.almulla@dsg.gov.ae destination for
government excellence
English Editor
Garth Mitchell
garth.mitchell@dsg.gov.ae
Arabic Editor P. 7
Yaqdhan Mustafa
“Dubai
yaqdhan.mustafa@dsg.gov.ae
Government
towards 2021
Graphic Designers
Fatima Ibrahim
Initiative” and
Ayesha Al Ansari mGovernance
media@dsg.gov.ae benefits
P. 10
Contact e4all DSG automates
Dubai Smart Government operations of Dubai
Tel: 04-4056274 Ambulance
Fax: 04-3532988
P.O.Box: 90300
e-mail: quality@dsg.gov.ae
... An electronic version can be
viewed on www.dubai.ae
The articles in this publication reflect
P. 12
only the author’s opinions and not GDRFA smart
necessarily those of the Smart
Government or its staff. solutions for
Republishing of material in this tourists
publication is not permitted without
attribution of this publication as the
source.
eMonitor
DSG Advisory Board discusses Abudhabi.ae revamped with 1106
Dubai Government Initiative 2021 services from 99 entities
The Advisory Board of Dubai Smart Government
(DSG) concluded its third meeting yesterday (Monday, 17
February, 2014), at HH Dubai Ruler’s Court headed by H.E
Ahmed Bin Humaidan, head of board and Director General
of Dubai Smart Government, in the presence of the nine
board members.
The meeting tackled the ‘Dubai Government: Towards
2021 Initiative’ based on the highest levels of excellence
and success that was launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan
Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince
of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, during
last week’s Government Summit. The 2021 Initiative is the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre
first of its kind in the world that aims to further strengthen (ADSIC) has announced launching the new portal
government service to meet public needs. It complements (www.abudhabi.ae) of Abu Dhabi government including
the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al 1106 services, from 99 government and federal bodies,
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE including 60 interactive and most used services. The newly
and Ruler of Dubai, to establish a smart government. revamped portal includes the customized ‘My Page’ which
The discussions highlighted Dubai’s potentials and is very popular, while overall, the website serves over half
strengths that can be utilized to implement the Initiative a million users in a record time.
before 2021. The participants underscored that the The new design is modern and attractive with most
government must further strengthen its competencies and used features easy for customers to find. Such services
take advantage of Dubai’s successful experiences and include utility bills for yourself or a friend, track flights
robust technical infrastructures in order to address future from Abu Dhabi and check status of commercial license
challenges in the course of implementing the Initiative. requests.
DsG organizes 232 training courses
The Dubai Smart Government (DSG) Department
has announced that its Jumeirah-based Training Centre
organized 232 training courses for 2,628 employees from
42 Dubai-based government entities throughout 2013.
The facility trained Dubai’s government employees on
the various systems, applications and shared services
provided by DSG to manage their administrative
requirements and resources and enhance their
operational efficiencies. These courses, which were also
attended by 40 other semi-government entities, included
workshops on corporate intelligence and information
security. The trainee satisfaction rate was at 95 percent in providing the best tools for government employees to
terms of responsiveness to the needs and expectations hone their skills and potentials and overcome work
of participants. challenges with full optimism while staying updated with
H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General, Dubai the latest upgrades to the systems that support their
Smart Government, said: “These training courses activities.”
and workshops contribute to the development of the All training courses conducted by the department in
professional and practical competencies of government 2013 covered 33 of DSG’s systems, including those for
employees. We are committed to ensuring that they Human Resources, Supply Chain, Payroll, Financials,
complement Dubai’s march to excellence and the focus Asset Life Management, Business Intelligence, Messaging
on a ‘smart’ transformation to technology-enabled and Collaboration, Government Correspondence,
governance. We aim to empower government employees Government Services Bus, eHost and eSupport. All
in handling all the applications, systems and common successful trainees received attendance certificates
services provided by DSG. We shall achieve this by attesting to their professional efficiencies.
Issue 125 - March 2014 3
Cover
CoverStory
story
UAE Government Summit:
Global destination for
government excellence
4 Issue 125 - March 2014
Those who listened to his speeches or kept track of prices need to come down to deploy such features and close
his conversation will realize that HH Sheikh Mohamed the gap between customers.
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Another feature of the Government Summit was the
Minister and Ruler of Dubai is uniquely aware of time. He reformation of the government to make each sector more
speaks about time constantly and offers insights right competitive and rate them according to certain customer
from the wheel of human civilization to the golden age of criteria.
the Arab civilization. This could be especially felt at the The best mGovernment app was a clear success, with
recent 2014 Government Summit. quality and quantity of the competition being seen.
Customer first Strategies and initiatives seen at Summit
The Summit was an excellent platform to launch new
initiatives and strategies for smart transformation in
government leading to the launch of the Dubai Initiative
2021. This was followed by Ajman Government releasing
its vision document for 2021, with both initiatives having the
goal of future happiness for its citizens.
Such a strategy is far more important than creating a maze
of eServices and apps. Therefore it becomes paramount to
educate government staff to keep our strategic goals in mind,
so that together we can achieve the UAE Vision 2021.
Comprehensive knowledge portal
The success of the Summit has had a positive impact
on all those who attended. Others can get relevant
information and knowledge from the Summit website:
www.thegovernmentsummit.ae. There are many best
practices available including speeches, lectures and
The Government Summit reiterated the concept of
presentations in both English and Arabic. Special thanks
‘Customer first’ with government services a necessity to
speed up business and compete with the private sector. are due to the administrators of the website for opening
Key performance indicators are being used to measure this valuable data to the general public leading to further
•
government services and customer satisfaction; to ensure transparency and excellence in eGovernment and
that government eTransformation will reach the quality of mGovernment.
famous hotels or airlines that puts the customer first.
Reforming the government sector
The Government Summit expressed his HH Sheikh
Mohammed’s vision for the customized smart devices to
provide government services directly to the customer. A
smartphone is readily available and critical government
services can be made available for emergency and quick
services. Therefore such services can be customized to
ensure comfort and happiness. To enable such services, a
new generation of smart and wearable devices need to be
deployed which will ensure privacy and can use biometric
and other identification to customize for individuals. The
Issue 125 - March 2014 5
Smart awards
Best
m-Government
Service Award
Winners
Federal World
smartFUJAIRAH
Sharjah DPW
Fujairah Municipality
Department of Public
An app that runs on MyTransport
�أبنائي Works
Smartphones and tablets, Land Transport Authority -
Ministry of Education This app aims to deliver
its a smart services portal Singapore
This app is a service and information and services to
for Al Fujairah Municipality. A comprehensive app that
informational mobile portal individuals and companies
It provides access to the includes information on all
that targets students and securely, smoothly and
municipality’s services at modes of land transportation,
parents. This app provides efficiently by creating an
anytime from anywhere. information on events and
an interactive envirnoment additional communication
that allow parents to access channel according to high promotions nearby, and open
related services anytime and quality standards, that saves data sharing to encourage
anywhere using their smart University Students development of third-party
time, effort and money for
phones. the app users. apps.
Local Arab
iQ
Khalifa University
iQ is a complete queuing
MPDA
system designed to make
Ajman Municipality and
AbuDhabiTaxi waiting time in a queue a MOCI
Planning Department
TransAD thing of the past. The iQ Ministry of Commerce and
MPDA is provided by Ajman
Abu Dhabi Taxi is a user- application enables the Industry - Kuwait
Municipality as an interactive
friendly taxi booking app customer to book a ticket This application creates a
smart channel for the
that allows customers to online without being channel of communication
individual and the business
book a taxi in Abu Dhabi physically at the service between the citizens and
segment in Ajman
from different locations centre. residents of Kuwait and
determined by GPS location the Ministry of Commerce
on the user’s smartphone. and Industry in Kuwait. It
enables the user to report a
•
commercial complaint and to
RAKPay
track the status of it .
RAK eGovernment
RakPay enables you to MOH
pay Etisalat bills, utility Khalifa University
DubaiPolice bills and pay for business This app provides a complete
Dubai Police licences. RakPay is directory to ministry of health
This app contains various developed with world class services that you access from
electronic services that security standards. It is any mobile platform. The app
are available in Arabic and safe,convenient,fast and can allows direct interaction with
English. be used anytime, anywhere. the ministry by submitting
applications and finalizing
them.
6 Issue 125 - March 2014
Dubai 2021
“Dubai Government
towards 2021 Initiative”
and mGovernance
benefits
It seems that government entities and citizens of the includes the Dubai Government Services Bus (GSB) which
UAE should get used to more surprises every February, allows government agencies to integrate their eServices
especially after the second Government Summit, which and exchange necessary data and information to automate
continued to deliver exception quality and transformation government transactions within a safe government information
to smart services. network.
One pleasant surprise was the personal email from HH
This argument may seem to be unrealistic for people who
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
think in a traditional way, because creating an electronic system
Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive
capable of dealing with a complex and various requirements
Council. His email appreciated the role of government
employees in the ‘Dubai Government towards 2021 needed by each one of the government entities. However, that
Initiative’. is the only solution that will ensure the achievement initiative
goals during the remaining six years until 2021.
Implementing this system will be less expensive than
Excerpts from the email building integration between the large number of existing
I am writing to you today because I believe in your ability systems and technologies. The best solution and the most
to excel. In my view, you are the cornerstone for the success successful way is to repeat the success story achieved by
of the “Government of Dubai towards 2021” initiative, which
Governmental Resource Planning Systems GRPS of one
I launched at The Government Summit. This initiative is
system, one database, one platform to manage government
inspired by my love and appreciation of every person living
services.
in our beloved emirate; and my conviction that the role of
government is to advance people’s lives through outstanding
service.
My aspiration for the Government of Dubai is to provide
Unified CRM
state-of-the-art services for each individual; tailored to the This enforces unifying the following aspects in
people’s specific needs and preferences and is always communication and support to customers:
accessible. In addition to the technological solutions we 1) Unify the government services catalog at a central
will implement, we will introduce one-stop customer service level for the government as a whole, and maintaining a
with personalized account managers that understands each detailed description of the service and the government
customer’s individual needs and provides exceptional and requirements, in addition to unifying the method of service
attentive service. delivery channels available to the public. Therefore, data
will not be limited to the government entity providing the
service. Moreover, government departments should not
What’s new in the initiative?
launch their eServices without the approval of the Dubai
His Highness launched the “Dubai Government towards
2021 Initiative” on the first day of the Government Summit, Smart Government to assure quality and integration.
targeting at finding new concepts of government services 2) Unify the work flow of information within government
based on a single platform, in a way that ensures the highest entities, in a way that smart systems can reach customers’
level of comfort and speed to public transactions. This initiative data easily.
creates a unique personal experience for the customer as if it 3) Consolidation of infrastructure for the government entities
is designed especially to fulfil personal needs. call centres, and stop outsourcing this critical mission
This requires an essential reform of government service, to third parties. Since the government employee will be
and a comprehensive change in the human resources and responsible to follow-up with customers and respond
operation management in the government entities, to adapt to inquiries, he/she is the best one that can be familiar
this new concept. The main areas that will witness a change with the government services. This is more effective and
are:
professional than contracting with external resources that
don’t provide customers with the information needed.
Unified system for government services Moreover, they may answer enquiries with wrong information
•
The importance of integrating all government services in that is different from what is provided by the employee in
a single platform is what this new initiative is all about. This the counter.
Issue 125 - March 2014 7
GRP
DSG automates operations of Dubai Ambulance
Dubai Smart Government (DSG) has announced that Integrated government
its IT team supervising Government Resources Planning H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General, Dubai
(GRP) systems has completed the application of GRP Smart Government, said: “Our highly competent IT teams are
solutions for the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance committed to fulfilling the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed
Services (Dubai Ambulance). The project automates Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of
Dubai Ambulance operations related to purchasing, the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a leading
internal requests, and accounts. knowledge-based economy. They aim to implement the
necessary electronic systems needed by Dubai’s government
entities to seamlessly handle their internal resources and
iPad notices departments in line with the latest and best management
The automation process, which complements the move
standards.”
towards a smart government, now enables medical staff of
Dubai Ambulance to send requests from their iPad devices
directly to warehouses from any location and transmit One vision
notices via e-mail to warehouse storekeepers. The improved Khalifa Bin Dari, Executive Director of Dubai Ambulance,
capability supports Dubai Ambulance’s primary need to have commended the role of DSG in cooperation with Dubai
its requests promptly processed and its requirements met by Ambulance in implementing the first phase of service
warehouses as fast as possible. This avoids the confusion automation in record time. Bin Dari noted that GRP systems
resulting from a long queue of ambulance vehicles. for customers, a barcode for fixed assets and properties,
warehousing, purchasing, and electronic requests for
the internal mobilization of ambulance cars have already
Project Plan been completed. He emphasized the need for continuous
Preparations for the project – which comprises applications cooperation between both parties to proceed with the second
for Warehouse Operations, Electronic Supplying, Fixed phase of the project which will deploy systems for payroll,
Assets, Purchasing, and Account Receipts – commenced on employee affairs, suppliers, general accounts, and budgets.
May 2013. The Account Receipts application will be activated The Executive Director explained that the ongoing coordination
in October 2014, followed by those for Warehousing, among Dubai’s government departments, organizations and
Purchasing and Electronic Supplying in November 2014. The authorities aligns with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of
Fixed Assets application will be available by February 2014. turning the city of Dubai into a genuine knowledge-based
The GRPS team has identified the key elements for economy.
implementing the technical process, including servicing DSG’s GRPS department provides technological
1,100 users who will submit internal requests from two large solutions for the basic operations of 34 local government
warehouses: the Main Warehouse and the Rashid Hospital departments. These systems serve as foundations for
Warehouse. The implementation phase is expected to start the comprehensive integration among Dubai’s government
ahead of schedule as soon as the expert team performs departments and authorities in line with the fulfillment of
the necessary technical procedures to transform the current Dubai’s eTransformation vision. In its latest project for Dubai
paper-based requests to a completely automated workflow Ambulance, the department launched shared solutions
•
using mobile phones. for human resources, payroll, finance, logistics, and asset
management, among others.
8 Issue 125 - March 2014
Smart learning
A package of
smart services for
students, parents,
and educators
The greatest beneficiary of smart ICT is learning, The smart transformation also includes: license renewal,
which nowadays uses smart devices along with increasing and decreasing numbers of students in classes,
traditional books. The era of smart learning has opened adding to or changing the curriculum or an activity of the
new horizons for students in all stages. Students are institute, in addition to changing making changes online
now used to devices with interactive apps and videos for name change of principal name change of the school
and can also store data easily. Educational institutions or institute, adding or withdrawal of a partner, changing
in the UAE now devote more attention to smart learning the representative of the board of directors of the institute,
and are adding greater value to smart government than waiving or cancelling a license, making changes to the
mere settlement of bills and fines.
school building, and approval to build a new school.
Comprehensive transformation
In this context, the Ministry of Education has announced
Gateway for parents
In addition to the above services, the Ministry has
that it intends to accomplish the directives of the leadership
launched a smart gateway for parents, which allow parents
towards the smart transformation of all services two years
ahead of the deadline given by His Highness Sheikh to actively participate in the educational process and play an
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and important role in raising the level of educational output and
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. upgrading schools. Parents can be informed of the agenda
The Ministry has launched a package of smart services for of the school, its activities, dates of special events, exams
students, parents, and teachers, the most notable of which is and holidays, through their mobile phones, and exchange
“My Children”, which includes several unprecedented smart messages and information with the school administration.
services like the query about results, homework and others. They can also follow the attendance record of their
The Ministry has been a forerunner in launching smart children, their educational level, and the development of their
services that match the aspirations of the future government. abilities, and see the details of their grades in each subject
One of these services is using smartphones to register separately, as well as to identify the details of the results of
students in schools, which is to be activated by March, 2014, the continuous assessment and examination, in addition to
through the smart service “Bawabati” (my gateway). The the service of checking school buses.
service allows parents to choose the most suitable schools
and the closest to their homes.
“Dorosi”(My Lessons)
The project “Dorosi” (My Lessons) are provided by the
15 smart services Ministry to students. The project aims at providing online
The Ministry has finished transforming the services of
versions of the curricula of the 11th and 12th grades, enabling
School Licenses Management in order to speed up the
students to pursue their studies any time and from any place
completion of transactions and shorten the time for the
through varied means of communication, including YouTube.
customer, as well as to facilitate the process of supervision
and control, quality assurance and to enable easy access Among the services provided by the Ministry of Education
to all services from anywhere. The customer can now allow through smart phones is the “Schools Map” service, which
the customer to follow the transactions without having to visit allows search for public and private schools, their locations,
the Ministry or the educational zone. Also they can contact data, and other information about them.
the customer through text messages and email. About 15 The new educational strategy is in line with the UAE
services have been transformed to smart services, including: Vision 2021, opening the way for the Ministry to work
towards achieving global competitiveness, and to offer high-
•
requesting a new license for a private school and a new
private institute. quality smart learning services.
Issue 125 - March 2014 9Smart Government
The UAE’s smart transformation: a statement of account
The UAE federal government has announced a set have been converted to smart services. Meanwhile, work
of initiatives and plans, and revealed a number of is underway on projects that support this transformation,
accomplishments in the present and future ahead of the including the creation of the e-ID (linking national ID to
two year deadline for the smart government announced mobile phone). A group of entities including TRA, the Ministry
by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE
of Finance, the Central Bank, Emirates Identity Authority
Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
(EIDA), and the Ministry of Justice are cooperating to achieve
this project in the coming period. Work will also begin on the
100 services transformed to mServices project of the federal network (FedNet), and next August will
The Supreme Committee for Smart Government has witness the linkage of 5 governmental bodies through this
selected 100 federal services that will be transformed into
network.
smart services according to a set schedule, based on
Moreover, the smart transformation of the e-Dirham
specific criteria. The most important of these criteria was
volume of transactions. These services are used by 80% of project has been completed and the activation is expected
federal government service users. to be done soon, and the formation of a complete legislative
On the sidelines of the Second Government Summit, system for the smart government is underway in collaboration
the Supreme Committee also launched the strategy of the with the Ministry of Labour.
UAE’s smart government, as well as the first guide to smart
government, which is designed to help federal entities
overcome some of the obstacles they might face in this Smart security
field. The preparation to launch three new initiatives were
Furthermore, the committee declared that two new smart revealed, in order to face security challenges and support
services will be launched soon. Pointing out that the the smart government capability to defend itself from cyber-
government services which will be converted to smart
attacks. 200 training programs are preparing government
services were selected according to specific criteria, the
agencies and customers to face these challenges. While the
most important one is the number of transactions done upon
through the service, and how it is linked to the public. The Supreme Committee believes that using smartphones in the
100 services were enhanced by a list of unified standards, UAE is now a common feature, it is therefore imperative and
required in the conversion to a smart form, in order to ensure easy to share knowledge and expertise.
the commitment of all parties to establish the services at the This will be done through the creation of Creativity and
highest level of efficiency. Innovation Labs that will create multimedia messages and
training sessions. Work is simultaneously underway on the
Ratio of smart transformation at 50% Trusted Service Managers (TSM) to manage safe services,
According to a computation done by the smart government with the project expected to be completed by end of next
higher committee, 50% of federal government services June.
10 Issue 125 - March 2014The Smart Guide Dubai Government employees commence
The first guide for the smart government provides a set ‘mGovernment initiative training program’
of guidelines for government agencies, to help in shifting In line with the Smart Government initiative announced
from eGovernment to smart government, and help them to by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
overcome some the challenges faced during the usage of UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,
smart government features. Dubai Smart Government (DSG) has commenced its
The smart guide includes important guidelines that aims to mGovernment initiative training program in coordination with
help government bodies ready for the smart transformation the Telecommunication Regulation Authority (TRA). TRA is
(m-ready) in terms of development requirements and the entity responsible for implementing the ‘mGovernment
implementation of the latest applications and smart services initiative training program’ to all Dubai Government
that depend on information and communication technology. departments and organizations.
The program is aimed at promoting the concept of Smart
Governance among all current government employees and
Federal Network local university students, which falls in line with Dubai’s
The Smart Government started implementing the Vision 2021. TRA has chosen to implement eTransformation
federal network project FedNet earlier in January, forming concepts in general and the smart government in particular.
a link between the various points of contact in government To fulfil the same, 21 employees from the information
agencies, which combine to provide services to customers, security division of 10 different government departments
aiming to finalize this project in May 2015. FedNet is a have already taken part in the first training course on ‘Smart
complement of existing electronic networks at the level Phone Security.’ The program, which started on February 9,
of local eGovernment, such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 2014 at Conrad Dubai Hotel, covered various sessions for
The network will be the backup electronic hosting centre specialized process and workshops in the smart, technical
that includes the data of federal government bodies in a and administrative government fields. The implementation
safe environment, ensure the permanence and immediate of the various training programs is expected to involve
intervention in case of any emergency. Launching the the participation of more than 2,000 employees coming
FedNet is an essential measure in achieving the integration from various government agencies and departments. The
of institutional processes and government data, and the program covers four basic training courses which have been
interconnection of governmental agencies is an important specially designed for specific departments and employees,
requirement for data and public services and integrated particularly those working in the information technology /
systems interoperability for the exchange of information and systems and networks category, applications and programs
decision-making processes of high efficiency. The network development category, information security category and
will provide an effective and economic solution to exchange, those at a supervisory level.
store and process information for all federal government H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General of
agencies. Other services will be also provided, such as Dubai Smart Government, has expressed his pleasure
voice, data, video and Internet services, between various at the high level of coordination between the local and
sites in the UAE. federal government entities in order to enable the smart
transformation throughout the country.
“Dubai is diligent to achieve a successful transformation
Electronic identity and authentication to a smart city, and a knowledge-based economy, to
The UAE smart government strategy has confirmed that ensure satisfaction across all the social categories, including
creating the electronic identity and digital signature systems nationals, residents, business people and visitors. We
on mobile devices (authentication) is one of its most important have made joint efforts and taken immense care to build
projects in the next stage and a key enabler for many smart and enhance the national competencies in this field. In
government services in the UAE. The project targets and addition, we have prepared them for the comprehensive
implements the electronic identity around the country, with transformation period toward the smart governance to
the participation of all key stakeholders including EIDA, assure that the graduated staff of the program are qualified
TRA, Ministry of Justice, government agencies, and financial to take the responsibility of leading the fundamental changes
institutions. Electronic identity will be more accurate and to keep up with the global development in the technical
secure than other authentication solutions. sector,” he added.
The electronic identity system is an enabling factor for From his side, Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Deputy
mServices, such as paying through mobile devices, banking Director General & mGovernment Initiative Director at
transactions, voting, and all services that required IDs, while Telecommunication Regulation Authority, said: “It is a
using reliable communication is the only way to secure great pleasure to work in close partnership with Dubai
transactions. Smart Government, which is considered as one of the
The security system of the electronic ID includes the leading departments in the national and international
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), based on Infrastructure eTransformation. We are confident that this cooperation
Public Key (PKI) system for mobile devices with high levels will reflect positively on the highest goals of the smart
of security, where all secured data will be encrypted on the government initiative which sees the transformation from
Subscriber Identity Module and the number of Global System customer satisfaction to costumer delight through offering
•
for Mobile Communications (GSM) as an initiator for all great services easily and quickly via smartphones round-
transactions. the-clock.”
Issue 125 - March 2014 11Global reports
A review of the World Bank Report
Doing Business in the UAE – 2014
Doing Business in the UAE – 2014 The “Doing Business” report released by the World Bank is considered as a
core economic reference by businesses when selecting countries to invest or expand their trade activities. Doing
Business 2014 investigates the procedures of doing business in Dubai as a model for the entire UAE business
environment. These procedures were reviewed, re-structured and automated by the Smart Government, as part of
its efforts to realize its leaders’ vision to ease the lives of people and create bigger opportunities to develop the
business sector and attract world-class companies.
To what extent has the Smart Government succeeded in Getting electricity
ramping up the business environment in the emirate? Here Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for
are some of the main statistics from the World Bank Report a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly
comparing UAE, Middle East region and OECD countries. constructed building.
Indicator UAE Region OECD
Starting a business Procedures (number) 4 5 5
The challenges of launching a business are shown below.
Time (days) 40 84 98
Included are: the number of steps entrepreneurs can expect
to go through to launch, the time it takes on average, and the Cost (% of income per capita) 19.3 1,147.1 93.0
cost and minimum capital required as a percentage of gross
national income (GNI) per capita.
Registering property
Indicator UAE Region OECD The ease with which businesses can secure rights to
Procedures (number) 6 8 5 property is shown below. Included are the number of steps,
Time (days) 8 23 12 time and cost involved in registering property.
Cost (% of income per capita) 6.0 29.8 4.5 Indicator UAE Region OECD
Paid-in Min. Capital (% of Procedures (number) 2 6 5
0.0 72.3 13.3
income per capita) Time (days) 10 33 26
Cost (% of property value) 2.3 5.9 4.5
Dealing with construction permits
Shown below are the procedures, time and costs to build Getting credit
a warehouse, including obtaining necessary licenses and Measures on credit information sharing and the legal
permits, completing required notifications and inspections, rights of borrowers and lenders are shown below. The Legal
and obtaining utility connections. Rights Index ranges from 0-10, with higher scores indicating
Indicator UAE Region OECD that those laws are better designed to expand access to
Procedures (number) 14 17 14 credit. The Credit Information Index measures the scope,
access and quality of credit information available through
Time (days) 46 151 143 public registries or private bureaus. It ranges from 0-6,
Cost (% of income per with higher values indicating that more credit information is
9.2 305.2 78.7
capita) available from a public registry or private bureau.
12 Issue 125 - March 2014Indicator UAE Region OECD
Strength of legal rights index 4 3 7
Depth of credit information 5 4 5
Public registry coverage
5.9 8.6 10.2
(% of adults)
Private bureau coverage
31.7 9.7 67.4
(% of adults)
Protecting investors
The indicators below describe three dimensions of investor
protection: transparency of transactions (Extent of Disclosure
Index), liability for self-dealing (Extent of Director Liability
Index), shareholders’ ability to sue officers and directors for Enforcing contracts
misconduct (Ease of Shareholder Suits Index) and Strength The ease or difficulty of enforcing commercial contracts is
of Investor Protection Index. The indexes vary between 0 measured below.
and 10, with higher values indicating greater disclosure, Indicator UAE Region OECD
greater liability of directors, greater powers of shareholders Time (days) 524 652 510
to challenge the transaction, and better investor protection.
Cost (% of claim) 19.5 23.9 20.1
Indicator UAE Region OECD
Procedures (number) 49 44 31
Extent of disclosure 4 6 6
Extent of director liability 7 5 5
Ease of shareholder suits 2 4 7
Resolving Insolvency
The time and cost required to resolve bankruptcies is
Strength of investor protection 4.3 5.0 6.1 shown below. The recovery rate, expressed in terms of
how many cents on the dollar claimants recover from the
insolvent firm, is also shown.
Paying taxes Indicator UAE Region OECD
The data below shows the tax that a medium-size
company must pay or withhold in a given year. Time (years) 3.2 3.4 1.7
Cost (% of estate) 20 13 9
Indicator UAE Region OECD
Recovery rate (cents on the
Payments (number per year) 4 19 12 29.4 33.7 70.6
dollar)
Time (hours per year) 12 184 176
Profit tax (%) 0.0 11.9 15.2
From 2013 to 2014
Labor tax and contributions (%) 14.1 16.5 23.8 United Arab Emirates
Other taxes (%) 0.8 3.9 3.7 Region: Middle East & North Africa
Total tax rate (% profit) 14.9 32.3 42.7 Income category: High income
Population: 7,890,924
GNI per capita (US$): 40,760
Trading across borders
The costs and procedures involved in importing and Ease of... 2014 2013 Change
exporting a standardized shipment of goods are detailed
Starting a Business 22 46 +24
under this topic. Every official procedure involved is recorded
- starting from the final contractual agreement between the Dealing with Construction
13 14 +1
two parties, and ending with the delivery of the goods. Permits
Getting Electricity 7 10 +3
Indicator UAE Region OECD
Documents to export 4 6 4 Registering Property 12 12 0
Time to export (days) 7 19 10 Getting Credit 83 80 -3
Cost to export (US$ per Protecting Investors 128 124 -4
630 1,083 1,028
container)
Paying Taxes 1 7 +6
Documents to import
5 8 5
(number) Trading Across Borders 5 5 0
Time to import (days) 7 22 10
Enforcing Contracts 104 108 +4
Cost to import (US$ per
590 1,275 1,080 Resolving Insolvency 101 105 +4
container)
Issue 125 - March 2014 13Smart solutions
GDRFA smart
solutions for
tourists
Being hospitable is one of the objectives of the “Dubai through process re-engineering to minimize time and effort.
Government Towards 2021 Initiative”. To achieve this The system will automatically sort mail requests and send
objective, a range of government agencies cooperate confirmation to customers without the need to submit any
together, such as the General Directorate of Residency documents to GDRFA.
and Foreigners Affairs, (GDRFA) which launched a new The new visa service was launched and tested by GDRFA
service that allows smartphones to be used to scan on staff at Dubai airports. As a start, the traveler must download
the e-gates of Dubai. the application onto their smart phones, then follow the
instructions to enter passport number and identification data,
The system will register the traveller and send a barcode to
the smartphone. Upon arrival to Dubai airport, the traveller
Millions of travellers and transactions
scans the barcode at the smart gates which will verify the
Dubai Residency revealed that in 2013, 11.6 million
electronic transactions was completed, and there were 5.3 code and then allow access. The new service has been
million passengers who accessed the 28 smart e-gates at successfully tested with both adults and children and found
Dubai Airports, with time to pass through not exceeding 16 to be working well.
seconds.
Colonel Khaled Nasser Razouki, Assistant General
Improving the e-gates
Manager for eServices in Dubai Residency revealed a new
GDRFA announced the number of registered users in the
project established under the name of “Emirate Vision 2015”,
smart e-gate reached around 1.2 million while the number
to decreasing the number of visitors to GDRFA premises,
of smart e-gates went up to 28 including those at the new
Terminal 3. GDRFA is now seeking to increase these
numbers in the next two years. GDRFA is also working on
newer technology to save time and effort. By 2015, many
services can be done through the typing offices who will in
turn submit to GDRFA saving the customer the need to visit
both places.
Other GDRFA services
• SMS services: can be used by businesses and PRO’s to
enquire about visas and status of applications and dates
for visa renewals and issues. The touch screen kiosks
provide instant responses to queries and offer all updated
information on services provided by GDRFA.
• Mobile visas prevent congestion and save on printing and
transport. They are secured with electronic signature and
other safety features.
• Amer vehicle: mobile service provides visas at home and
office depending on request from the customers.
• dnrd.ae: allows visa applications and follow up, as well as
printing of electronic visas and health insurance
• eForm: is very popular among business and registered
typists. They are able to use the E-Form to pay for the
•
visas by direct debit or credit card thus saving time and
effort..
14 Issue 125 - March 2014Social Networks
The Government Summit in the Leader’s Tweets
The number of followers of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister
and Ruler of Dubai, on Twitter has exceeded two and half million, which means that a tweet by him will reach a greater
number of people than that achieved by the printed newspapers and radio stations in the UAE.
His Highness is completely aware that his fame and reputation are devoted to establish the reputation of the UAE, thus he
presented a unique example in promoting the Second Government Summit which was held in February 2014.
A cloud of the commonly most used words in His Highness Sheikh Mohammad’s tweets reveals both his interests and
the content of messages directed to the public. Both English and Arabic are used to ensure delivery to the largest possible
number of followers and to achieve international fame for the UAE.
Snapshots from the biography of Dubai on Instagram
The first biography of a city through the eyes of its people
#MyDubai
Issue 125 - March 2014 15eServices Wizard
Definitely Dubai App of Department of
Tourism and Commerce Marketing
You can download this app from
Apple or Google Store.
1
The welcome screen shows
Search, Events, Bookmarks
and Around Dubai.
2
Clicking on events will
lead to events in Dubai
with images and more
details once you touch the
event.
3
On choosing favourite
bookmarks, a map of Dubai will
display your favourite sights and
you can then see more details.
For more information, contact:
800 70 90
16 Issue 125 - March 2014You can also read
