• Eng. Majed Al Mesmar: “Whole-of-Government means the interdependence and integration of services, and means that the customer obtains services from one place and does not have to care about what is happening behind the digital scenes, where systems read from each other, and documentation, verification, signature and other processes are performed.” 
  • Al Mesmar: “The world is changing rapidly. We must take into account the optimal use of data, and take the customer experience to new and unprecedented horizons”

UAE: The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), represented by its Director General, H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, participated in the Digital Readiness Retreat, held by The Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation, with the participation of more than 250 government officials from 50 ministries and federal entities, with the aim of enhancing integration and cooperation between government entities digitally.

The retreat started with an opening speech delivered by H.E. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, and Chair of The Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation, in which she focused on digital leadership and its impact on maximizing opportunities for government digital transformation.

Then, H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar delivered a speech entitled "Forward Ecosystem", derived from "We the UAE 2031" vision, which represents a national action plan through which the UAE will continue its development journey for the next decade by focusing on the social, economic, investment and development aspects.

Al Mesmar focused in his speech on the importance of government integration to achieve the Forward Ecosystem, based on the need to work in a comprehensive and coordinated manner to achieve the Whole-of-Government approach. He highlighted some international models that made the best use of digital data to achieve government integration and interdependence, and succeeded in reaching digital leadership.

H.E. Al Mesmar indicated that the UAE society produces huge volume of data every year, through many sources, including:

  • 99% of the population uses the Internet - the highest in the world
  • 10 million active accounts on social media platforms, which exceeds the number of inhabitants
  • 200% mobile phone subscriptions (per 100 people)
  • 20 million visits annually to the unified digital platform, u.ae
  • 5 million users of UAE Pass, which provides 15,000 services
  • 7 million digital shoppers in the UAE spend AED 42 billion annually
  • The size of the digital advertising market is AED 3.7 billion, with a growth rate of 12%
  • 4.5 million users of digital health apps and services, spent AED 909 million in 2022, with an increase rate of 21% annually.

Al Mesmar said: “These numbers are only the tip of the iceberg, as every institution possesses huge amounts of data, and if we collect all of it, it will broaden the prospects of innovation, decision-making mechanisms, and the development of modern services and solutions. The optimal use of data means the seamless exchange of data between all federal and local government entities, and the interdependence and integration of services, and means that the customer obtains services from one place and does not have to care about what is happening behind the digital scenes, where systems read from each other, and documentation, verification, signature and other processes are performed. Data integration means providing proactive services in the sense that we do not wait for the customer to apply for the service, but rather provide it to him in advance, even before he remembers its scheduled time.

Data integration means non-duplication, and means efficiency and effectiveness. It means that our ministries and government institutions are linked to one system, as well as our hospitals, schools, labs, charitable, sports, social and other institutions."

Al Mesmar highlighted some success stories in the field of integration and comprehensive use of data. He said: “We have a federal digital network that represents a distinct model in sovereign networks capable of encompassing the entire environment of digital transformation in the government. I refer here to two experiences, the first is “Mabrouk Ma Yak” package of services, through which the citizen gets seven services at once before he thinks about requesting any of these services. The second is "Bashr", where the investor requests the service of establishing a business in the UAE, to obtain in less than 15 minutes a trade license, membership in the Chamber of Commerce, an establishment card from the Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security, an establishment card from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and 3 work permits for the facility.”

Al Mesmar added: “Today, we have achieved impressive results that can be built upon. In addition to FedNet, we have the UAE Pass, with its digital verification, digital signature and biometric identification features. We have the GSB that facilitates the exchange of data between all entities. We have developed FedNet to provide the artificial intelligence that all government entities need, in order to prevent separate transactions between entities and AI platforms, and the resulting difficulty in implementing national policies and requirements of cybersecurity and duplication of procedures.”

Al Mesmar concluded his speech, addressing government officials participating in the retreat, saying: “We at TDRA have proudly assumed the responsibility of overseeing the digital transformation at the government level. And if we have achieved accomplishments in this mission, it is because of your support, cooperation and team spirit that stems from our love for our country and loyalty to our leadership. It is true that we are an enabling entity, but being enabled by you is the core. This comes through unifying efforts to achieve progress in line with the size and nature of the changes in this era. The world today is different from what it was a year or two ago. The required approaches must take place under the titles of inclusiveness, interdependence, one government, optimal use of data, and upgrading the customer experience to new and unprecedented horizons."

A number of ministers and federal government officials participated in the retreat. Discussions focused on the key initiatives that contribute to enhancing the digital readiness and competitiveness of the UAE Government, in addition to creating an enabling environment for government cooperation in line with the objectives of The Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation to develop the digital ecosystem for government services, businesses and operations.

The retreat also included a presentation by H.E. Eng. Mohammad Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General for the Digital Government Sector, under the title "Enabling Government Digital Transformation", in which he addressed TDRA’s role in enabling government entities in the field of digital transformation. Al Zarooni referred to three layers of digital enablers: the secured infrastructure layer, the integrated government layer, and the government application software layer. He also highlighted key figures in relation to some of the enablers, such as the GSB services, through which more than a billion transactions have been completed so far.

-Ends-

About TDRA:

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) undertakes the task of supervising the telecommunications and digital government sectors in the UAE in accordance with the Telecommunications Law issued by Federal law by Decree No. (3) of 2003 and its amendments, and in accordance with Decree No. 23 issued on September 27, 2020, amending some provisions of Federal Law by Decree No. (3) of 2003 regarding the regulation of the telecommunication sector, and adding the “digital government” to the functions and name of the authority.

TDRA’s regulatory role is to ensure the provision of distinguished telecommunications services, develop the telecommunications sector, ensure the interests of the parties, apply the relevant policy and regulatory frameworks, develop human resources, and encourage research and development, to ensure the UAE’s leading regional and global position in the telecommunications sector.

In the field of enabling digital transformation, TDRA is responsible for supervising the federal digital government under Law No. 3 of 2011. Since then, TDRA has become responsible for digital transformation at the national level through two strategic goals: enhancing the smart lifestyle, and Leadership in smart technological infrastructure in the UAE.