The trend is such that going digital is no more a choice but a necessity. The UAE has a stated goal of becoming a leading global hub and an open lab for the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s applications.

The country has been pressing the right keys when it comes to introducing Smart initiatives. The positive results are there for one and all to see.

The launching of the ‘Digital Month’ initiative by the Abu Dhabi Government will further drive the UAE leadership’s vision to utilise information technology to better serve the community and advance government services.

The initiative comes within the efforts exerted by various government entities in Abu Dhabi to enhance customer experience through innovative digital services and solutions.

Government entities today provide more than 1,000 government services across various digital channels, which amounts to more than eight million transactions that were digitally completed during the past year.

Digital transformation provides added value at different levels, as it saves more than 300,000 days of work and 16 million customer visits for government employees.

As outlined by Ali Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Department of Government Support - Abu Dhabi, in 2020, many digital initiatives will be completed, which will be launched and implemented under the umbrella of the Digital Month initiative, through which a new concept will be explored to provide government services to enhance customer experience, by employing modern and connected technologies such as, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

It is heartening to note that all government entities in Abu Dhabi have been working together for months to place the latest and greatest digital customer experiences in the hands of customers effortlessly.

The Digital Month initiative is certainly a unique undertaking to highlight the benefits of online services as compared to traditional visits to government offices.

The recent ranking of the UAE as the first in the Arab region and 12th globally among highly competitive countries in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2019 added another feather to the cap of the nation.

A report by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre acknowledged that the UAE advanced five positions from the previous year’s ranking, to be ranked 12th globally and first in the Arab Region.

Visionary initiatives have helped the nation move on the fast track in digital transformation.

In line with the Distance Learning initiative launched earlier by the UAE Ministry of Education, the Madrasa e-learning platform this week boosted its free online content to facilitating the learning experience of millions of Arab students across the region.

Under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the e-learning platform offers more than 5,000 educational videos in mathematics, science and Arabic that cater to students from kindergarten to grade 12.

The platform efficiently supports the Distance Learning initiative by providing high-quality and interactive online educational material to students in public and private schools in the UAE and across the region.

Earlier in March, the UAE Ministry of Education began implementing the Distance Learning scheme to enable second-cycle and third-cycle students to continue their learning process outside classrooms.

The initiative allows students to interact with teachers remotely, access their educational material and even download textbooks through online accounts on computers and iPads. Through the digital platform, teachers can record lessons through voice or pre-recorded sessions.

The UAE has been excelling in digital transformation and that should be a matter of pride for every citizen and resident.