IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Revenues from online payments across the government entities in Dubai jumped 23 per cent generating Dh3.2 billion in the last nine months of 2012 comparing to Dh2.6 billion the same period last year, Dubai eGovernment (DeG) announced on Tuesday.

The increase in the number of transactions from 2,054,024 in the first nine months of 2012 to 2,448,147 transactions in the same period in 2012 reflects a shift in payment trends among Dubai residents, Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director-General of Dubai eGovernment said.

UAE-based etisalat said it will implement its e-bill initiative across all services in a phased manner from September 1.

This transformation of current billing methods to new generation environmentally friendly e-bills will ensure customers have access to their account information 24/7 across the world and can view their details online or through their mobile devices.

The UAE Excise Tax, due to go into force effective from Oct.1, shall be collected in e-Dirham only, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced.

The move goes in line with the UAE government’s strategy to keep pace with the latest technological developments in areas of FinTech and revenue collection and ensure transparency, efficiency and safety in financial transactions

The proliferation of smart mobile devices has made it essential for governments to offer people ways to access services from home or on the go.

The UAE has one of the largest smartphone and mobile penetration rates in the world.

The Dubai Smart Government Department (DSG) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which DSG will provide technical support to the electronic and smart shared services provided to DHA in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for Dubai government entities’ services to be available round the clock.

The MoU signed by both parties mandates that DSG will provide the necessary support to the package of electronic and smart shared services to DHA. It also specifies the levels of support and priority-based response period as necessary to fulfil the leadership’s vision of combining efforts to realise Dubai Vision 2021 and the ultimate goal of bringing happiness to customers. The services include the Government Resources Planning Systems (GRPS), Government Information Network (GIN), MyID, ePay, Government Service Bus, Correspondence Tracking System, SMS Dubai, eSurvey, Happiness Meter, eHost, eComplain, and eSuggest, among others. The two parties also agreed to hold regular meetings to discuss the commitment to providing support to the shared services to attain the agreed on key performance indicators and operating objectives.

The Dubai Smart Government Department (DSG) has launched a smartphone app that provides government employees a list of dedicated self-services, perpetuating the city’s shift to an eGovernment.

Employees who work for government entities using the Government Resource Planning Systems, can use the app to manage leave requests and inquire about their leave balance and attendance records.

There is a lot of discussions and demos of smart city technologies today that are enhancing the connectivity of everyday services. At the same time there are so many barriers to creating a truly smart city.

What we are currently witnessing is disparate connected services; a patch of Wi-Fi coverage here, some contactless pay pads there. Until we can provide some more consistency in the connectivity we are providing across the city, two things will continue to happen:

• The ‘connected experience’ for people living in cities will fall short
• There will be a huge and ongoing security risk surrounding connected city equipment

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, has launched the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Smart Government Programme, which will lay the foundation for transforming the Dubai Government from eGovernment to smart government.

The initiative is in line with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and in response to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Even with all these technological investments, some municipal officials and agencies struggle to move public safety and smart city initiatives forward

Cities everywhere are growing rapidly, and so are the technologies that public safety agencies use to keep people safe and urban landscapes running smoothly. The pandemic has seen an acceleration of digital and ecological transformations in smart cities. In fact, about 54 per cent of UAE residents expect Covid-19 to accelerate the development of smart cities, a report by Mastercard, Smart Dubai, and Expo 2020 revealed. Environmentally friendly business practices, paperless government services, and fast, affordable, city-wide internet connectivity are some of the features residents expect from a smart city, the report found.

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

The benefits of a smart city are endless for the government and residents, starting from revenues to time saving and improved quality of life. But the target cannot be achieved without smart citizens, said an industry specialist.

The Department offers this new service via devices which enable the user to pay outstanding fines and fees, type the registration cards and receive it from the device itself without having to wait for their turn at the customer service counter.

The so-called ‘Third Platform’ is our terminology for the disruptive technology forces of social, mobile, Big Data, and cloud; in essence solutions that are changing the very way we exist and do business. These technologies are critical in shaping Business 3.0 – business that is on the go, information that is easy to access and share, processes that are flexible and scalable, and, most importantly, business that is happening outside the bounds of the corporate network.

The Emirates Identity Authority, the United Nations Public Administration Network and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs will jointly conduct the first Open Government Data Forum on April 28 and 29 at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

This was the main message of the 11th session of the Arab Thought Foundation (FIKR11) Conference. The opening session, on Monday, was held under the patronage and in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

At the helm of this now super-successful e-system is CEO Mahmood Bastaki, a man who is extremely passionate about the Dubai Trade Portal. He recalls, to Logistics Middle East magazine, the days the service was first introduced back in 2003.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has launched a smart e-services portal for universities and an updated system for schools and training institutes.

KHDA’s smart system will allow customers to connect directly to the organisation, saving on time and paperwork.

The move to ease people’s and businesses’ interaction with the Government, which started back in 2000, marks the eTransformation Journey in Dubai, Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai e-Government (DeG), said in an interview with Gulf News.

He was speaking at the 32nd edition of Dubai Gitex Technology Week highlighting the importance of this event in increasing the attention of public and private sectors to the benefits of technology adaptability as well as accelerating the eTransforamtion.

Once implemented, it will allow all smartphone owners and mobile device users to access federal services.

In a press conference held by the Abu Dhabi City Municipality on its organization of the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit, taking place on October 29 and 30, 2019, it reiterated its keenness to enhance Abu Dhabi’s reputation in terms of Smart City and Artificial Intelligence applications in governance, services, transport, roads, infrastructure, sustainability, future foresight, and innovation. It also emphasized its support of government entities’ efforts and effective contribution to the transformation of Abu Dhabi into a smart city, through the examination of regional and international best practices on smart cities, mobilization of efforts and energies, and conclusion of effective and meaningful public-private partnerships in this regard.

A team of specialists at DSG has already completed all necessary procedures to include MRHE within the other government entities participating in eJob, allowing it to post vacancies electronically and automate all recruitment procedures, in addition to benefitting from the many other features of the portal.