Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Smart Dubai has successfully completed phase one of the UAEPASS initiative – its nation-wide programme for digital identity – integrating seven leading government entities to date.

This allows citizens, residents, and visitors in the emirate to seamlessly access these entities’ services via smartphones, without the need to visit service centres, and with a single set of login details. The seven government entities are the Dubai Department of Economic Development, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Police, Dubai Courts, Dubai Land Department, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Dubai Civil Defence

UAEPASS is a national digital identity platform, launched in October 2018 in partnership with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Smart Solutions and Services Authority, the Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC), and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

In the Emirate of Dubai, Smart Dubai is in charge of integrating local government entities to the platform, which is being conducted in consecutive phases. With regards to the other emirates, as well as federal government entities, the TRA has identified the government departments it plans to integrate soon. The programme’s end goal is to have all local and federal government entities fully integrated with UAEPASS.

Director General of Dubai Civil Defence Maj.Gen.Expert Rashid AlMatrooshi said: “The Directorate General Of Civil Defence Dubai is committed to becoming a pioneer in its smart digital services, which have a direct impact on protecting lives, property, and the environment, through implementing state-of-the-art technologies in all services to ensure customer satisfaction. Digital integration with other Government partners under the Dubai Smart Government umbrella aims to place Dubai in the forefront of smart cities worldwide. The UAEPASS programme – along with the total integration of federal and local government entities in a smart digital environment, and enabling users to access all digital smart services delivered by any government entity with a single entry – is considered a basic pillar of Dubai’s transition to paperless transactions, which seeks to make customers happy, save time and effort, and achieve the best results in accordance with the international competitiveness standards of smart cities.”

For his part, Wesam Lootah, CEO of the Smart Dubai Government Establishment, said: “The ambitious national programme for digital identity is a key pillar in the process of enabling many digital transformation initiatives at the local and federal levels. It also supports the objectives of the Dubai Paperless Strategy to create an advanced paper-free future for government services – an important element of transforming Dubai into a smart city.”

“Smart Dubai is making major strides towards building the happiest and smartest city in the world by employing advanced technology in all areas of life, by providing exceptional services and experiences, and by saving time and effort,” Lootah added.

“These are core aspects of smart government implementation; they fulfil the objectives of the UAE’s strategy for comprehensive digital transformation. What Smart Dubai has achieved with the integration of seven vital government entities in the Emirate of Dubai is a first step in a comprehensive plan to enable users to have unified access via digital identity to all digital services provided by government entities in the country.”

 Meanwhile, Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy Director General for Information & e-Government Sector in the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, said: “The joint government work has proved to be the key for national achievements in various projects in the digital transformation process. We all work in line with the directives of our wise leadership that the smart government is a comprehensive project for both federal and local entities, providing customers with an integrated, interactive and happy experience. Hence, the cooperation between DEWA and Dubai Smart in completing the first phase of UAE Pass is a promising example that would lead to more results and achievements in the next phase.”

 To register for UAEPASS, users can download the application from iOS and Android app stores and sign up in three steps: Scanning their Emirates ID, verifying their mobile number and email address, and setting their UAEPASS PIN. Existing DubaiID and SmartPass users can easily migrate their existing accounts through the app. To complete the verification process and obtain digital signatures, users can visit the nearest UAEPASS kiosk, several of which have been set up all around the country.