Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan launches Digital Strategy, new digital projects

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has launched Dubai’s Digital Strategy.

The launch took place during Sheikh Hamdan’s visit to the Digital Dubai HQ, where he was briefed on the progress of its various initiatives, the work carried out by various teams in preparation for upcoming phases of Dubai’s Digital Strategy, and the latest projects Digital Dubai is developing in collaboration with government entities, reported Dubai Media Office.

“Dubai has completed three outstanding phases in its digital journey, starting with the launch of the region’s first e-government in 2001, followed by a smart government initiative in 2013, and then the government-wide digital transformation, which culminated in fully eliminating paper transactions by the end of 2021,” said Sheikh Hamdan. “These stages served as the prelude to Dubai’s new Digital Strategy, which cements Dubai’s position as the world’s digital capital. The period ahead calls for intensifying efforts, strengthening cooperation, and promoting proactive thinking and innovation to achieve major goals.”

Dubai’s Digital Strategy will enhance the economy

The city’s new Digital Strategy is centred on seven key pillars, namely, the digital city, digital economy, data and statistics, digital talent, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital competitiveness.

The strategy also aims to equip over 50,000 professionals with advanced digital qualifications.

The strategy represents an advanced stage and a new milestone in the emirate’s digital transformation journey.

The digitisation rate of government services is now at 99.5 per cent, while the paperless government objective has been achieved 100 per cent and digital transactions account for 87 per cent of total government service transactions.

Moreover, over 120 government smartphone applications have been developed, while government entities have recorded a compliance rate of over 80 per cent with cybersecurity indicators and 100 per cent compliance with the Dubai Data Law.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Digital Dubai director general, said “Digital Dubai will work with all of our partners, including government entities and private establishments, as one team tasked with optimally implementing the Strategy, all the while keeping pace with promising technologies, so that together, we add a new success story to Dubai’s history and chart a new future centred around a comprehensive digital life.”

Advanced digital initiatives and projects
Sheikh Hamdan also launched the Digital City Experiences initiative, which aims to develop an integrated and connected city, providing consistent digital experiences to citizens, residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs.

The initiative will offer experiences through unified digital channels, where users, including citizens, visitors, and companies in Dubai, can enjoy an easy and seamless experience that saves them time and effort, according to the Dubai Media Office.

The Crown Prince unveiled the new version of the official website of Dubai, Dubai.ae. It allows users to explore a vast database of information and digital services covering all sectors, including healthcare, education, city events, tourism, work, investment, residence, family affairs, transportation, communications, real estate, and many others.

.@HamdanMohammed: #Dubai’s Digital Strategy is based on a vision to digitalise all aspects of life in Dubai, and establish a reliable, robust digital system that enhances the digital economy and empowers a digitally-driven society. The period ahead calls for intensifying efforts,… pic.twitter.com/P28WI2FsjD

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 21, 2023

The portal includes a dedicated section for e-participation in Dubai, which reflects the level of interaction between Dubai’s community and its government and highlights the latter’s commitment to involving the community in the development of city services and policies. The website provides a dedicated space for sharing ideas, discussing topics, and submitting suggestions to enhance the quality of life of the city’s residents.

Sheikh Hamdan also explored the Dubai Transactions Index, which aims to assess the performance of government transactions in real time.

The initiative enables relevant entities to monitor the performance of government services offered through their various channels in real time. It also allows customers to track the status of the services requested by them or follow up on requests through the DubaiNow application.

The Crown Prince was briefed about the innovative Digital Assistant initiative, which aims to embrace and develop the potential of generative AI by integrating it into the Smart Employee application, offering government employees quick and easy access to a range of services.

Sheikh Hamdan learned more about the Dubai Leadership Dashboard, developed by the Dubai Data Establishment using the power of data to create a specialised dashboard for decision-makers, enabling them to access real-time, updated, and reliable city indicators, such as the population index, Platform 04, happiness index, business licenses, tourism, foreign trade volume, real estate transactions, Dubai Cybersecurity Index, and other indicators that facilitate optimal decision-making.

Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on the Maha Project, developed by the Dubai Electronic Security Center at Digital Dubai, as a proactive system to mitigate the impact of cyber-attacks on government services and enhance security. It is an advanced system for securing online government services and monitoring their vulnerabilities.

Sheikh Hamdan also explored the Happiness Meter and Environmental Quality IOTs, developed by Digital Dubai in collaboration with the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), which uses artificial intelligence technology to read facial expressions in government facilities or elsewhere, providing a general indicator of public happiness in a specific place and time.

In addition, the indicators assess the quality of the environment in a given location by setting up sensors inside or outside facilities to display key indicators, such as temperature, humidity, air quality, noise level, carbon dioxide levels, as well as total volatile organic compounds.