Hosted by Ahmed Al Sha’far in Dubai

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, July 5th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

Participants at the Ramadan Council, organized by the Law Respect Culture Office of the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, emphasized that transition to smart government has become a strategic option required by different local and external factors and developments. The council, which was hosted by businessman Ahmed Al Sha’far at his house in Dubai,  stressed that the United Arab Emirates, with a wise initiative from its leadership, is forging ahead strongly to achieve this efficient and rapid transition to this type of modern government.

Both the speakers and participants at the council lauded the higher leadership’s decision to launch the smart government initiative, which is a post-eGovernment phase, by enabling customers to access governmental services via mobile phones and tablets, any time and from any place.

Participants called upon the UAE private sector and its various segments, to keep pace with the latest developments in all areas related to smart government, on par with the federal, local and government sectors.

In his speech at the opening of the session, media personality Abdullah Al Mutawa’ from Al Arabiya TV, praised the Ramadan Council that is organized by the Law Respect Culture Bureau at the Ministry of Interior; stressing that convening such councils is an opportunity to submit and exchange views and to promote cooperation between the ministry and the various society institutions in the UAE.  

As he moderated discussions, Al Mutawa’ pointed out that the UAE government has made significant strides towards shifting to smart governments; by implementing several  services and government initiatives via smart phones and tablets, hence, positioning the UAE at the forefront of the region’s countries, in terms of transition to smart government.  

HE Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Police and General Security praised the idea of the Ramadan Councils organized by the Ministry of Interior; which tackle several  topics for the service of the community. He also talked about the concept of smart Government, saying that, “By providing its services through smart means and media, the Government seeks to enable its customers to access these services from their preferred locations, without the hassle of commuting to service centers to complete their transactions,” indicated Lt. General Al Tamim. He also called upon federal and local government institutions and departments to streamline procedures through smart applications to speed up transactions; citing several examples of smart services provided by the Dubai Police GHQ to the public.

He also lauded the Ministry of Interior’s Award for Smart Applications for students of national colleges and universities. “This award contributes to unleash the inherent potential of students; provide them with new research opportunities that serve the public; and encourage the spirit of competition and innovation among students. This would motivate students to share and implement their creations, so as to serve the community and reach out to an important segment of society through such initiatives,” pointed out Lt. General Al Tamim.

Furthermore, he stressed the need to raise public awareness about the various smart services provided by the government; in order to acquaint them with the optimal means to benefit properly from these services.

On the same note, Abdullah Al Bastaki and Abdullah Al Ali from the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai gave an overview of the smart applications and services provided by the authority to the public. They also pointed out to the significant and increasing numbers of community members using these smart services and benefitting from them.

For his part, Dr. Mohammed Murad Abdullah, Director of the Decision-Making Support Center at Dubai Police, said that the transition to Smart Government is a necessary option. “Scientific studies have shown that three out of four individuals in the UAE own a smart phone, a feature that may not be available in a lot of countries,” pointed out Abdullah. He added that most smart phone users are young people. He also indicated that several federal ministries and departments are endeavoring diligently to shift to smart Government by launching many smart services.

Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, tackled the concept of smart city. He listed the major specifications required for smart services, focusing on the constraints that may impede the implementation of smart services.

He said: “Despite the obstacles that can be overcome; providing smart services and applications to be used by customers across the country is a vital and strategic thing. It is a global requirement. In the next 10 years, the UAE is set to become a smart services hubs; more smart services will be added to meet the increasing public demand.”

Hamad Buamim, Director-General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), urged the private sector to put in more effort and to contribute to the transition towards e-services; on par with services provided by the public sector in the UAE. “The banking sector in the country is a pioneer in this area. The DCCI urges companies to shift to smart services,” indicated Buamim, pointing out that smart applications via mobile phones contribute to identifying and allowing new types and fields of trade and investment.

For his part, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the UAE Smart Government Initiative, noted: “There are several reasons why it is essential for federal ministries and departments to provide smart services; most importantly are the Government’s instructions on the need to proceed with this transition. “There’s also the economic factor, whereas the UAE is one of the most active and advanced countries in the world in e-commerce; in addition, young people are the biggest segment of society in the UAE, and are the most common users of phones and smart devices,” concluded Al Mansoori.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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