Spending the majority of my life in Dubai, I grew up from the time we received Dial Up connections at home from Etisalat, now in the broader package of eLife where we enjoy a host of services. It’s easy to forget there was a time that we use to go to pay utility bills, where I stood in line and picked a number. Today that number, ( a pun if I may) is all you need to pay the bill. In the context of how we do things today, there’s an app for that. Today, we see the UAE step in a stage which has seen unprecedented growth to improve the services especially government institutions that serve the general public better. There’s quite the investment, so let’s talk numbers.
“The UAE’s investments in innovation reached 14 billion dirhams annually, 7 billion of which go into research and development, and it is planned to increase this budget dramatically over the coming years.” Dubai Smart Government Magazine
Simply put, we see the smart government belief being put in action with a city that aims to be among the smartest cities globally. So naturally innovation in government services are the stepping stones. Suddenly when you have government apps on the app store, and an entire section dedicated to just that, you know there’s a push for this. I find it amazingly convenient that I suddenly don’t have to go to the post office to pay my utility bills anymore and I can easily do it on my phone using DEWA’s app. No system is bulletproof from bugs that being said, you can use your mobile device to request a support ticket via voice or live video call a DEWA agent.
Also worth to mention, the team is prepared in sign language for the hearing impaired, innovation right there.
In accordance with the adoption of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, for “Dubai’s Innovation Strategy”, 20 initiatives will be implemented within 3 years all for making Dubai, „the most innovative city in the world.” After all, a smart government is a key pillar in pushing for a smarter economy where you have the general public supplying feedback that’s crowdsourced through mobile apps.
What this does for the user is that it allows them to access more than 250 electronic and smart services provided by 11 government authorities. The MyID unified login service allows the public to interact directly with the government on a digital level. When you have a massive user base, this gives the smart government access to create better research analytical tools such as the „Happiness Index” of users and their satisfaction with the government services that’s provided and the index is in coordination and collaboration up to the highest level with the Executive Office. As the U.A.E goes into a new shift that comes in the next decade, there’s certainly a lot expected from the Smart Government and they have gotten off the right steps by opening the development of smart services and apps for government services that literally boost efficiency and save time, it also opens the doors for entrepreneurs to come in and work on selective services and push users to go digital and that’s the key lesson while innovating and let’s not forget the little picture too, no more long lines to pay your telephone bill anymore.
