Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director-General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), affirmed that the UAE's digital identity (UAE Pass) has made a qualitative leap in the national digital transformation journey and facilitated users' access to services without the need for submitting documents or signing papers.
He said that the number of UAE Pass users has significantly increased from 4.6 million in 2022 to 7.2 million users in 2023, with a 57 percent increase, indicating that these numbers are expected to increase in 2024, especially with linking UAE Pass with private sector institutions and the possibility of visitors registering on the UAE Pass app to obtain their related services.
He pointed out that the UAE Pass enables 35 types of trusted digital documents and has issued up to 8.8 million trusted digital documents for users, noting that the digital verification platform allows users to digitally verify documents and ensure their reliability. The platform has provided digital verification service for more than 230 thousand documents and also allows users to verify the source and validity of the document, while enabling the service entity to verify the document's authenticity.
He said,
"The official portal of the UAE government, U.ae, serves as the official gateway for the government of the UAE and the main reference for government information and services. It has accompanied many stages leading to what it is today as a reference for anyone seeking information or wishing to obtain any government service from the UAE."
Additionally, he stated,
"With the launch of the new version of the portal and meeting the United Nations' requirements for providing information and engaging users in service design, the number of portal users has increased from one and a half million annually in 2017 to approximately 17.5 million users in 2023. The number of views increased from 3.7 million to 41.6 million views, and the number of visits increased from 2 million to 27.3 million visits.
Continuing, he said,
"In a qualitative leap within the journey of the official portal, the authority recently deployed Generative AI technology through the 'Ask Us' service, or (U-Ask), available in several languages. It provides accurate information to users about all the services and policies they are looking for on the portal. This service represents the first phase of a multi-stage project to deploy artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency, improve user experience, and increase satisfaction."
He said that the UAE is focusing on enhancing its digital infrastructure to lead in digital transformation, emphasising government-integrated shared services for user-centric operations with the latest technologies. He pointed out that the successful 2023 digital parliamentary elections showcased the country's progress in digitalisation, with a robust digital voting system and infrastructure managed by the Smart Systems Committee in collaboration with government and technology partners. This achievement sets a precedent for future national endeavours.
Al Mesmar stated that the digital electoral process in the UAE achieved full digitisation, from registration to voting, with a high turnout of 92.69 percent for remote voting through online platforms. The use of digital channels led to a significant increase in voter participation from outside the country and a reduction in operational costs and voting time. The 2023 elections exemplified a globally unique fully digital electoral experience, leveraging the country's high internet usage rate of 99 percent.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
