H.H. Sheikh Hamdan unveils Dubai’s Digital Strategy

Dubai is gearing up for the next stage of its digital transformation, in line with the leadership’s vision to position the emirate as a global role model in the sector.

That's according to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, who launched Dubai’s Digital Strategy on Wednesday. 

It was unveiled during Sheikh Hamdan’s visit to the headquarters of Digital Dubai, where he was briefed on the progress of its various initiatives, and the latest projects being developed in collaboration with government entities.

"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.

The city’s new Digital Strategy is based on a vision to digitalise all aspects of life and establish a reliable, robust digital system that enhances the digital economy and empowers a digitally-driven society.

It is centred on seven key pillars - digital city, digital economy, data and statistics, digital talent, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital competitiveness.

The strategy aims to enhance the outputs of the digital economy, increase the positive impact of Digital Wellbeing by 90 per cent, achieve top rankings in the United Nations’ Local Online Service Index, and launch 50 digital city experiences that are seamless, interconnected, proactive, predictable, and high-impact.

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

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.

.@HamdanMohammed: We launched the Dubai Digital Strategy today along with initiatives that are set to accelerate the emirate's transformative journey into the world’s digital capital. Aligned with the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the emirate will develop innovative… pic.twitter.com/JnhgMtYUWu

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

Advanced digital initiatives and projects

During his visit, 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 seeks to achieve these objectives by connecting fragmented digital services in Dubai, compiling them all into an integrated system that values privacy, focuses on users, and provides them with options.

It will also 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.

This approach is a cornerstone of the digital service delivery system, elevating the quality of digital life to its highest levels.

His Highness also unveiled the latest version of the official website of Dubai, Dubai.ae, which serves as a unified and reliable digital platform that offers access to a range of information and digital services.

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.

The portal also includes a dedicated section for E-participation, 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 also allows customers to track the status of the services requested by them or follow up on requests through the DubaiNow application.

His Highness 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 Dubai Government employees quick and easy access to a range of services.

Sheikh Hamdan's visit to the Digital Dubai headquarters also included a briefing on 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.

He was also briefed on the Maha Project, developed by the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) at Digital Dubai, as a proactive system to mitigate the impact of cyber-attacks on government services and enhance security.

.@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