1 December 2013 - Issue 122 “The first lesson to be learnt from the Spirit of the Union is to know our history. We are not a nation with a short history. We as a people have a long and glorious history. A true leader turns a dream or an idea into reality & visualization into implementation. History has no place for dreamers.” These are tweets by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on patriotism. They are flashes of inspiration. You were right, Your Highness. We claim no glory that is not ours. We are a nation that does not boast of its history, but learnt from our leaders the life-skills and look forward to a future that will bring us happiness, God willing. *** The 42nd anniversary of the UAE federation comes with a special fragrance. Having adopted the strategy of economic diversification to become one of the world’s vital economies with ICT as a major driver; the UAE is experiencing a quantum leap in its appreciation of its citizens and residents. It is making steady and confident strides towards a smart government that ensures the provision of government services through smart devices around the clock. At the federal level, HH Sheikh Mohammed launched an international tracking system to measure the federal government’s performance, which will ensure an upgrade of government services. The system, which contains 11,000 indices, will track the implementation of 200 strategic goals and measure the quality of 2000 government services daily. *** Dubai is also geared up for its shift to a smart city following its dazzling success as an eGovernment. Thus, in every celebration of the UAE union there is something new to add to our bright records, quality of life and prestigious position. This makes such records a distinguished landmark in the history of the UAE amidst joyful celebrations nationwide by those living in the UAE as a gesture of gratitude for the security, love and assurance they experience in this country. The Spirit of the Union, December 2nd, 1971 has significant meanings and connotations. Today, we relive the memory of the great transformation undertaken by the strong will and unwavering determination of those sheikhs and wise leaders who founded the Union, which is reflected now by the bright present and the promising future. *** Can we remain silent while our country is seeking to be one of the best countries of the world in line with the UAE Vision 2021, which paves the way for a strong knowledge-based and competitive economy built by skillful Emiratis, thanks to their common responsibility, destiny, knowledge and prosperity? The best way in which we can offer tribute to our country is to record the achievements of our founders, who may have physically left us, but are permanently etched in our memories; so that those who follow suit may be the happiest people of the nation. This is our pledge that will remain year after year in the Spirit of the Union. Director-General, Dubai Smart Government Department 42 years of love for our country: Making us the happiest nation eVisions
Transcript
1December 2013 - Issue 122
“The first lesson to be learnt from the Spirit of the Union is to know our history. We are not a nation with a short history. We as a people have a long and glorious history. A true leader turns a dream or an idea into reality & visualization into implementation. History has no place for dreamers.” These are tweets by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on patriotism. They are flashes of inspiration.
You were right, Your Highness. We claim no glory that is not ours. We are a nation that does not boast of its history, but learnt from our leaders the life-skills and look forward to a future that will bring us happiness, God willing.
***
The 42nd anniversary of the UAE federation comes with a special fragrance. Having adopted the strategy of economic diversification to become one of the world’s vital economies with ICT as a major driver; the UAE is experiencing a quantum leap in its appreciation of its citizens and residents. It is making steady and confident strides towards a smart government that ensures the provision of government services through smart devices around the clock.
At the federal level, HH Sheikh Mohammed launched an international tracking system to measure the federal government’s performance, which will ensure an upgrade of government services. The system, which contains 11,000 indices, will track the implementation of 200 strategic goals and measure the quality of 2000 government services daily.
***
Dubai is also geared up for its shift to a smart city following its dazzling success as an eGovernment. Thus, in every celebration of the UAE union there is something new to add to our bright records, quality of life and prestigious position. This makes such records a distinguished landmark in the history of the UAE amidst joyful celebrations nationwide by those living in the UAE as a gesture of gratitude for the security, love and assurance they experience in this country. The Spirit of the Union, December 2nd, 1971 has significant meanings and connotations. Today, we relive the memory of the great transformation undertaken by the strong will and unwavering determination of those sheikhs and wise leaders who founded the Union,
which is reflected now by the bright present and the promising future.
***
Can we remain silent while our country is seeking to be one of the best countries of the world in line with the UAE Vision 2021, which paves the way for a strong knowledge-based and competitive economy built by skillful Emiratis, thanks to their common responsibility, destiny, knowledge and prosperity?
The best way in which we can offer tribute to our country is to record the achievements of our founders, who may have physically left us, but are permanently etched in our memories; so that those who follow suit may be the happiest people of the nation. This is our pledge that will remain year after year in the Spirit of the Union.
Director-General, Dubai Smart Government Department
42 years of love for our country: Making us the happiest nation
An electronic version can be viewed on www.dubai.aeThe articles in this publication reflect only the author’s opinions and not necessarily those of the Smart Government or its staff. Republishing of material in this publication is not permitted without attribution of this publication as the source.
Editorial
w w w. d s g . g o v . a e
The Official Magazine of Dubai Smart Government
Content
E-Mart: Dubai’s smart property marketplace from Dubai Land
Community eLearning: Another pillar for a smart city
Issue 122 - December 2013
P. 7
P. 10
4Our Union has paved the way for the UAE to become of the best countries in the world
P. 4
Website of Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department: Services for all
P. 9
The vision of Dubai Smart Government is to ease the lives of people and businesses interacting with the government and contribute to establishing Dubai as a leading economic hub.
Dubai Smart Government’s mission is to achieve a virtual government through the provision of high-quality customer focused eServices for individuals, businesses and government departments and to promote eServices adoption through customer management.
Dubai Smart Government promotes eServices through www.dubai.ae - the unified official portal for Dubai Government that provides all residents and businesses of the emirate with more than 1500 electronic services.
e4all is the official magazine of Dubai Smart Government, and helps in creating awareness of eServices to all segments of society and spreading an electronic culture for the well-being of all.
Our Vision
3December 2013 - Issue 122
Dubai Smart Government has organized a symposium on information security that aims to raise awareness about the Dubai Government Information Security Regulation (ISR) and Dubai Government’s initiatives in this field. The week-long event which kicked off at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City Hotel on 5th November 2013, included workshops and training sessions about information security and meetings that discussed timely security issues and IT topics in the presence of leading international experts on digital security.
Strong participationThe Information Security Symposium attracted strong
participation from senior officials, managers and engineers who have a background in IT systems and digital security at government entities, to review the latest best adopted global practices to reduce the threats of information security violations. The symposium was held in collaboration with Dubai Government’s Information Security Committee, and focused on the details of resolution No 13 for 2012, which was issued by the Dubai Executive Council, to adopt the best practices that will reduce the risk of information security violations within the framework of the integration of roles among government entities in Dubai, as well as the application of best practices necessary to protect information and address the risks that threaten information security.
Information security prioritiesThe breakout sessions on the first day focused on a
wide range of topics related to digital security standards, anti-piracy strategies, efficiency of encryption passwords and others. Wesam Lootah, Assistant Director-General, Dubai Smart Government, said: “This symposium is very important because it provides an interactive platform to promote effective channels of communication and exchange information between information security officials and decision makers at government entities in Dubai. It also represents an essential step towards supporting the joint efforts undertaken by the Information Security Committee of the Government
of Dubai and Dubai Smart Government for the smooth and effective application of ISR, which represents an integrated framework for the development of a unified strategy for information security, in order to ensure the creation of a safe and reliable environment for storing and saving government information efficiently and effectively and maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of customer data.”
Security cultureLootah gave a detailed explanation of the ISR which was
recently approved in both Arabic and English and represents a hug step forward in terms of investment in ICT infrastructure development, improving government performance and achieving global leadership in the knowledge economy.
Furthermore, Lootah highlighted Dubai Smart Government’s initiatives in the field of improving the level of information security within the framework of integrating the roles between government entities in Dubai. At the forefront of these initiatives was the Information Security Symposium, where Lootah highlighted the security culture program and exclusive training programs in the information security field, including the Apprenticeship Training Program. Lootah also drew attention to the features of the government’s emergency plan, the first draft of the Smart Services Mobile Secure Development Guidelines, the early reporting service for security threats to government information systems and others.
Area for improvementThe symposium is part of DSG’s strategy to keep pace with
rapid technological developments and increase awareness about information security through the launch of awareness programs and campaigns that target government entities in Dubai, in a bid to introduce novel ways to adopt to ISR which represents a fundamental pillar to meet the urgent need for an integrated methodology to handle, manage, update, save and transfer the vast amount of information available to government entities, especially as it consists of twelve domains, including governance, operation and security, which all represent the information security structure.•
Dubai Smart Government holds symposium on information security attended by international experts
Information Security
Our Union has paved the way for the UAE to become of the
best countries in the world
Cover Story
4 December 2013 - Issue 122
The United Arab Emirates is enjoying the fruits of its union amidst its modern infrastructure and development. Its present day lifestyle is aspired of by many other countries and its bright future can be seen on the horizon. Its success story has become legendary and despite its small size, it has grabbed world attention, due to the wisdom and statesmanship of its founding fathers.
In order to analyze its success and the comprehensive shift this union achieved in the lives of Emiratis, who have ever since been blessed with unity, we will review with a quick glance the achievements of the state and its digital governmental presence.
5December 2013 - Issue 122
UAE eGovernment
Government.ae
This portal represents an official site for the United Arab Emirates Federal Government, which comprises more than fifty federal organizations and ministries. Its eServices extend beyond the federal sector to the local government departments and private sector. The portal has also launched the UAE e-Encyclopedia as the first comprehensive encyclopedia on the United Arab Emirates.
UN eGovernment Survey 2012The UAE has made a remarkable achievement worldwide
in the field of eGovernment according to the UN eGovernment Survey 2012. The biennial Survey which was released in February 2012 is the most comprehensive reference for eGovernment programmes in the world. The 2012 edition of the Report focuses on the role of eGovernment in sustainable development.
From 99 to 7 in online services
The UAE has leaped to rank 7 on the ‘online service index’ in the United Nations eGovernment Survey 2012; up from rank 99 in the 2010 version of the biennial report. This noteworthy advancement is a rare achievement for a country since the UN started releasing the eGovernment Surveys in 2003.
From 86 to 6 in eParticipationThe Report also shows that the UAE Government has
made a great advancement in the field of eParticipation, another main factor in determining eReadiness. The UAE has advanced from 86 in 2010 to rank 6 in the 2012 Report. eParticipation is particularly important as a tool of communication between the Government and the public.
From 49 to 28 in eReadinessThis giant progress was reflected in the overall rank of
the UAE in the eGovernment development index. The UAE has advanced from rank 49 in 2010 to rank 28 in 2012. Over this short period, Emirates eGovernment has succeeded in regaining the leading position of the UAE in the field of eReadiness in the region and the world.
Abu Dhabi eGovernment
Abudhabi.ae
Embedded in a broad Government reform, Abu Dhabi has a strong commitment to developing an e-enabled, service-oriented government. In its eGovernment vision, Abu Dhabi Government’s ambition is to become a “high performance government delivering world class services to the benefits of all its customers”. This vision translates into four focus and design themes for the eGovernment strategy, i.e. a focus on end-users and efficiency, and a comprehensive and cross-government design.
To deliver on its mandate, ADSIC acts as an ‘authority’ in the field of IT policies and standards and is an ‘enabler’ of technology and infrastructure projects for government modernization initiatives. Furthermore, as an ‘innovator’, ADSIC aims to position Abu Dhabi as a leader in government modernization both regionally and globally, and as an ‘educator’ to foster IT literacy and create awareness for the potential and benefits of automation.
Dubai Smart Government
Dubai.ae
Dubai Smart Government refers to Dubai Government’s use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
to provide government services to citizens, residents and visitors (G2C), to businesses (G2B), to other government
6 December 2013 - Issue 122
entities (G2G) and to government employees (G2E); using multiple channels, in line with its vision of easing the lives of people and businesses interacting with the Government. The strategic importance of embodying the eGovernment concept stems from its aim to reinforce Dubai’s position as a leading knowledge and economic hub.
Dubai Smart Government Department operates in harmony and integration with all the departments and entities that come under the Government umbrella in Dubai. The accomplishments made since the launch of the Dubai eGovernment project in 2000 are the result of joint efforts by all government departments.
Sharjah eGovernment
Sharjah.ae
Sharjah government launched its electronic portal to join the electronic transition across the nation. The portal includes information and eServices for local agencies and organizations. In light of the importance of reinforcing and supporting government services, the Sharjah eGovernment has embarked on harnessing the latest international technologies and experiments to this effect. It has sought to enhance government department infrastructure in order to enable customers’ access to those services whether they are official government organizations or businessmen and investors or private persons and visitors.
Ajman eGovernment
Ajman.ae
The government of Ajman offers good opportunities for beneficiaries to make use of government services extended
to individuals and organizations. The aim is to ensure that those services meet the needs of the public through excellence. This would make government services more flexible and smoother than ever before through a one-stop shop model. The Ajman eGovernment has opened communication channels with business people, banks, educational institutions and individuals.
Fujairah eGovernment
Fujairah.ae
The Fujairah eGovernment seeks to offer common services that focus on customers in the fields of networking and infrastructure development as well as information sharing.
Ras Al Khaimah eGovernment
Rak.ae
To make eServices for computers and mobile phones, the RAK eGovernment was launched as the second eGovernment in the UAE after Dubai. It seeks to achieve the vision of its founder His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qassemi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras al Khaimah to achieve the concept of the eNation.
The RAK Portal includes a virtual government complex of different government bodies. It also offers a wide range of eServices for the public. It also offers a full application of GPS for the emirate in order to enhance opportunities of information access by business people and investors who have been attracted to the emirate in the fields of industry and real estate development. •
7December 2013 - Issue 122
eTransformation
Dubai Land Department has officially launched E-Mart www.emart.gov.ae. This launch has come in conjunction with its winning the first prize among Arab countries and the fourth universally in real estate registration according to a recent report issued by World Bank. E-Mart is an on-line gateway that displays real estate for purposes of rent, sale, on-line auctions, and for smoothly sharing real estate information. This gateway aims to ensure the highest level of transparency in selling real estate having a certified origin, and within the department’s regulations and specific laws.
Competitive servicesDubai Land Department applies the
technique of “One Procedure” in order to accomplish all transactions in 30 minutes or less. This has made the department occupy the fourth ranking among the world and first among Arab countries according to the international index, aiming monitoring transparency and smoothness in real estate registration worldwide.
Dubai E-Mart also allows landlords, developers, and real estate brokers to directly display their property for direct sale or on-line auction, in order to facilitate the sales process and achieve the highest possible price by attracting a larger number of investors and those interested in the real estate sector in Dubai from all over the world. E-Mart also allows the owners and owners’ companies the opportunity to showcase
vacant properties for rent through a rental system, Ejari, which enables visitors and residents of the Emirate of Dubai to search for vacant property through the portal.
E-PaymentAt Dubai E-Mart, total or partial
e-payment is also available through the ePayment gateway “Noqodi”. The ePayment procedure can be accomplished using the buyers’ credit card or by bank transfer to the e-wallet from any bank in the world to accredited banks within the state.
E-Mart Services:For all dealers who wish to use
E-Mart and benefit from its services and operational processes here is a list of all services provided:• Viewingorbuyingpropertiesthrough
on-line auction service• Viewing or buying property through
direct sales service at negotiated or fixed price
• ViewingPropertytoberentedthrougha specific rental system called Ejari
Procedures:A number of procedures need to
be followed to benefit from the E-Mart Services; these can be summed up in the following:First: Sale of property through E-mart• Registering at Dubai E-Mart as
owner• On- line auction: request to
showcase a property through the on-line auction
• Direct sale: request to showcase aproperty through direct selling.
Second: buying a property through E-Mart- Register at E-mart as Buyer- On-line auctions:- Register at e-payment gate (Noqodi)
to pay the insurance rate needed to participate in the auction
- Participate in the auction- Bid on a property at the on-line
auction- Complete the full payment after
paying the participation insurance- Direct sale- Register at e-payment gate (Noqodi)
to pay the insurance rate needed for negotiation or to directly book a property.
- Negotiate on any property with a negotiable price (make an offer and pay booking insurance)
- Direct booking of a fixed-price property, either by full payment of its price without initial booking, or paying booking insurance, to complete the final payment at a later date
Third: showcasing a property for rent- Login into your Ejari account (users
should have registered at Ejari previously)
- Choose a vacant property- Enter your rental offer details- Send the offer to be shown on
E-mart through Ejari- When leased, the leasing contract
should be registered in Ejari in order to cancel the property from E-Mart.•
E-Mart: Dubai’s smart property marketplace from Dubai Land
8 December 2013 - Issue 122
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, confirmed that the Dubai Government is able to create miracles so as to satisfy the public and transform into smart government. On his page on Twitter during the launch of the app of Hamdan bin Mohammed Prize for Smart Government “HbMPSG”, which allows the public to vote on the improvement initiatives of government services, His Highness posted that the new app allows the public to vote on the best government initiatives.
He added, “We will honour the government entity winning the highest vote from the public within the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Program for Smart Government on 11 December.” The app is designed to give the public the opportunity to assess the best initiatives of service improvement, a first-of-its-kind measure to highlight the opinion of the public, and a real indicator of the quality and improvement of public services.
The app is available in both Arabic and English, allowing customers of various groups to participate, noting that government employees are not allowed to vote for their own smart apps.
To complete the voting process which lasts until December 8, 2013, the user is required to perform only a few steps, including: downloading the HbMPSG app, logging in by entering the e-mail and personal data, selecting “vote” and entering number “1” to watch all videos that introduce initiatives, and finally choosing the initiative to vote.
The initiatives that can be voted for through the app include ‘the rapid metro’, ‘the release of imported food shipments for domestic use’, ‘the respondents project’, ‘the partnership with the Emirates Identity Authority for customer service’, ‘building permits in Dubai’, ‘security checks’, ‘the unified service center system’, ‘the initial resale to developers’, ‘the renewal of vehicles’, ‘training dealers to use the system of customs clearance’, ‘recharge of Nol card’, and ‘we are all police’.
The Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications company “Du,” whereby the parties will cooperate to support the efforts of the transformation to smart Government, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The contract aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of smart services and telecommunication networks through the provision and development of all facilities and services provided to clients, and the exchange of knowledge, expertise and institutional experiences at all levels so as to contribute to accelerating the wheel of progress. The first fruits of this cooperation will be a smart phone app that allows customers to electronically book a timeslot prior to visiting the Directorate in order to perform their transactions in addition to verifying the completeness of the documents required ahead of attendance to the Directorate, whether by individuals or institutions.
RTA launches first Arabic Journey Planner worldwide
The Public Transport Agency, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), has recently launched the world’s first Arabic language Journey Planner (branded as Wojhati); enabling public transport users to pre-plan their daily travels as an advanced step taken in support of the Dubai’s Smart Government drive.
Adel Mohammed Shakeri, Director of Transport Systems, Public Transport Agency, said: “The RTA is proceeding with its efforts to provide every assistance to public transport users in making prior plans for their daily travels on the metro, public buses, water bus, and the water taxi. The launch of the Arabic edition of Wojhati app is viewed as in important step that would undoubtedly contribute to broadening the base of public transport users in the Emirate of Dubai, particularly those who prefer to use the Arabic language in these smart applications.
“The app contains an introductory page highlighting the main features and how to use it in a way enabling the customer to work out the cost of the selected journey. The launch of the Arabized version of Wojhati is timed with the process of updating maps to include the latest locations and stops recently completed in the Emirate of Dubai,” added Shakeri.
The Wojhati app, provides all information needed by public transport riders, be it residents or tourists in the Emirate of Dubai using various public transit means (buses, metro and marine transport) such as the journey timing, fare, guidance for arriving to the required destination, alert in case of delayed journeys, and the time taken to arrive at the selected destination. •
Launch of Hamdan bin Mohammed Prize for Smart Government’s App
Dubai Residency and du sign MoU for smart government
eMonitor
8 December 2013 - Issue 122
9December 2013 - Issue 122
Site of the Month
The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department was established since 2008, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, as a government department attached to the Governor’s Diwan.
e4all reviews the department’s website: http://legal.dubai.gov.ae listing its main features.
Website structure:The website is committed to the visual identity of
Dubai Government, as it follows most guidelines of Dubai Government websites excellence model. It has a clear visual header, tab for main topics and users and a message from the department’s Director General. Another feature is that the homepage doesn’t occupy a large space so that viewers can get sufficient information without needing to scroll down the page.
Website targeted audience:The Department follows the guidelines of Dubai
model for customer service, regarding the variety of services provided to the different customers types. The Department provides services for the following;1) Services to Government:a. Legislationb. Legal Advice and opinionc. Government disputes and claimsd. Contracts and agreementse. Professional training and developmentf. Publications of the Official Gazette of the Government
of Dubai.
2) Services for advocates and legal consultants;a.Advocates affairs; divided into license application law
firms and advocates’ registration.
b. Legal Consultants affairs; including license application to establish a legal consultancy firm and legal consultants’ registration
3) Services to Public:a. Complaints against government entities: which
deals with legal cases that usually entails financial or contractual compensations, unlike Dubai Government’s Unified Complaints Portal; which deals only with issues associated with customers’ satisfaction. The Department receives and processes claims, complaints and grievances according to a specific process explained in the website.
b. Complaints against Advocates and Legal Consultants: the department is mandated to receive complaints against advocates and legal consultants concerning fees and fines prescribed for the Advocacy and Legal Consultancy profession in Dubai.
4) Information services: In addition to the legal services, mostly for legal
companies, the website also provides useful information for general visitors including:
• Information about the department and its scope of work
• The department’s organizational structure.• E-Jobs portal.
Bilingual websiteThough all legal transactions In Dubai should, by law,
be mainly completed using the Arabic language, the website still provides its visitors with full information in English in most sections of the website. The exceptions are the texts of laws that may not be translated to English by law. This comes to ensure that the website message and its services are reachable to the widest possible sector of the public, aiming to achieve Dubai’s vision in becoming an international Centre of business, finance and culture. •
The Government of Dubai
Legal Affairs Department’s
Website.. Services for All
10 December 2013 - Issue 122
In support of “Dubai Smart City,” Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University has launched key initiatives during the special conference on “Community eLearning,” where the two services, the “prepaid educational Visa card” and “Microsoft Zone” were introduced. The University aspires to be a lever for smart education in the emirate in order to build a distinguished model added to the outstanding record of excellence for Dubai and the UAE.
Community eLearningThe initiative, “Community eLearning,” is an innovative
concept based on the provision of eLearning services of high quality for all segments of society through the social networking sites Facebook, Google Plus, and LinkedIn.
As a result of constructive cooperation with the foundation, “Global Learning,” that is specialized in the development of techniques and methodologies for contemporary education, the cutting-edge initiative provides more than 1,600 e-lessons from the first to twelfth grade in mathematics, science and IT, as well as 180 accredited programs for the development of business skills among staff members, managers, parents, and university students in various areas related to leadership , communication, marketing, finance, Islamic banking, self-development and many others. It also provides more than 600 e-lessons on the English language to students from different age groups within an interactive learning environment and under the supervision of a qualified team to provide support, academic guidance, and certification according to the highest internationally accepted standards.
Educational Visa CardsThis initiative offers the first-of-its-kind educational prepaid
Visa card worldwide, in the framework of joint cooperation between Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, Commercial Bank of Dubai, and Visa. This card is provided to every 8-to-18-old student participating in the platform, “Community
e-Learning.” Students can use this card in any of the Visa card outlets throughout the world or via the Internet. The prepaid card allows parents to control the maximum limit of spending by children as well as review expenditure reports electronically.
Microsoft ZoneThe second initiative, “Microsoft Zone,”, has been created
on the platform of “Community eLearning,” in cooperation with Microsoft in order to complete the merger between the interactive platform and Microsoft Office, in a move that aims to provide students and faculty the possibility of direct and free access to educational resources, curriculum and modern teaching tools as well as providing employment opportunities for young people and promote entrepreneurship across the Arab region. The cooperation will also contribute to the granting of certificates for learners in the platform from Microsoft through the merger with the gateway of the program “Partners in Learning” as well as providing them with a free account on the Office 365 system.
Smart City ObligationsCommenting on the new initiatives, His Excellency
Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and Security in Dubai said, “The three initiatives come in support of the “Dubai Smart City” project launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and implementing the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the University, to promote the concept of learning through social networks, which have become widely popular among young people. The initiative, “Community eLearning,” comes to confirm our strong commitment in Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University to this approach through facilitating access to high-level educational resources.” •
Smart learning
Community eLearning: Another pillar for a smart city
11December 2013 - Issue 122
Smartphones, with the smart applications enabled on them, are already perceived as one of the most important technological leaps in this millennium. They have already had a profound effect on our lifestyles, as well as those of companies and governments. Though they are tiny, they have become powerful tools in the new stage of smart governments.
This technological leap was due to Apple’s iPhone. Even though they did not invent the smartphone, Apple’s iPhones were first widely used for internet browsing and usage of data. Nowadays, smartphones without a data package is quite rare in most societies to access the Internet anytime and anywhere.
The question is; do all the users have positive views on having a data package?
A new investment harbourThere is no doubt that there is a
huge demand for mobile data thanks to the smartphone revolution. This has come as an investment harbour for telecommunication companies and internet service providers. The telecommunications companies needed this investment especially nowadays after the decline of international communications revenue, as a result of breaking the international monopolization on communications service. Add to that the great competition that prevails in the communications market due to challenges from the Internet and live streaming video and audio calls.
So, telecommunications companies sell exclusive mobile data packages
respectively related to the different communications and messaging applications. For example, users can get an open subscription to Facebook or WhatsApp to be able to message people freely, yet all other internet applications to be explored need to be paid separately.
Data packages vary according to size, speed and prices, but still they all agree to one feature in common between all of them: the heavy tax and high fees entitled on every extra megabit downloaded by the subscriber’s mobile phone.
Government smart appsIn the midst of this sweeping
transformation, government smart apps have arrived. Unfortunately many of these apps lack minimum quality standards. Many government agencies do not hesitate to post a link to their websites or social media networks, to inform the world with pride and admiration that they have accomplished their national duty in smart government transformation by creating an app! Regardless of the quality of such applications, they also consume a huge amount of data, resulting in users shunning government apps to avoid paying high fees on mobile data packages.
Possible gap in smart services
Because of heavy mobile data usage, many users prefer not to use or download government apps, as they prefer to keep their precious data for communication with friends and relatives. So a huge gap between governments creating apps and
users not downloading or using them is being created. People with lower incomes especially younger people who have limited budgets will not use government apps. The outcome will be wasting the large capital allocated by the government for its e-systems and smart transformation infrastructure, and hence delaying the success of this initiative for years to come.
Government data packages should be made free
As the main principle of the government being serving citizens and equality among members of the community, the government is now obliged to make its services more accessible through all channels and among all individuals with all of their rankings and levels, regardless of their financial income.
Governments now need to collaborate efforts to allocate a full scale of government data services for smartphones away from the commercial data network available. It will be beneficial for this government data package to be completely free, and compatible with all types of smart phones, regardless of the operating system used.
This plan is easy and applicable if it is organized and supervised centrally by the governmental authorities responsible for smart transformation. They could operate just like the social media packages that provide free and open access only for social media not for any other website. Such measures will definitely help smart government to take off and deserves to be invested in. •
Analysis
Data packages: enhancing
smart apps or hindering it?
12 December 2013 - Issue 122
Smart Transformation
Dubai Police (DP) takes the lead regionally and perhaps internationally in issuing certificates of good conduct in less than five minutes via smartphone, the first achievement among a series of measures that save the public time and effort and contributes to the consolidation of Dubai’s deserved status as a “Smart City.” This service comes along with more than 39 services via smartphone offered by DP.
Security servicesThe certificate of good conduct
is obtained through registering the required data by the client, and then the required certificate is sent to the e-mail of the Emirati applicant within only one to 10 minutes. As for expats, it takes a period of time ranging from one to 24 hours instead of three days as is the case for traditional applications. The procedures to obtain traffic fines clearance certificates have been restructured and simplified. They are now issued automatically (without human intervention) and sent to the e-mail of the applicant within a period of no more than half an hour. The request is submitted online and then the certificate is sent by courier delivery services companies within two working days.
In addition, the Criminal Record Certificate is issued within a very brief period of time by only entering the ID number for UAE citizens. The procedure will be available for expats after taking the necessary security precautions.
Fast track services for traffic accidents
It is the latest service that has been activated by DP, which enables the public to book an appointment with the police stations and choose the right time and types of service, to receive confirmation on their mobile phones in addition to the location of the nearest police station. As soon as the client arrives at the station, he/she will find their transactions have been completed and can receive them within a few minutes.
Fast track allows people who have had a car accident to register the vehicle data via the app without the need to inform the Operations. This is especially for accidents that do not require the presence of police patrols. Such parties involved can go to the nearest police station using the app as explained above and complete the procedures there. DP has also activated a service that allows the public to photograph traffic violations and send photos to the police, noting that there will be legal consequences for reporting incorrect information or photographing people without their permission. DP has been providing this service for a long time by allowing reporting violations via phone calls through the service, “We are All Police.”
Security channels for the community
The new apps include information on all the procedures and documents
required in police stations and the Department of Tourism Security, and offer immediate responses to all inquiries related to tourist security. The apps also provide community channels of DP, as well as icons of augmented reality to locate the nearest police stations, inquiry about and settlement of traffic fines, Leaders at your Service, and the inquiry about issued documents. The new apps also allow reporting information and crimes. The features of DP app on Android include the modern browsing techniques “Wave gesture”, a geolocation map, the augmented reality, and the feature of notifications (ads , follow-up requests, traffic violations), in addition to voice commands.
Dubai Police offers the service “Your security at a touch of a button,” in addition to the “SOS” service for the disabled and people with heart disease, allowing them to contact the operation room and get help without the need to dial 999. The latter service allows UAE’s citizens to locate and contact the nearest consulate or embassy of the UAE anywhere in the world. In addition, a database for the disabled and the elderly in the state will be established in collaboration with the Community Development Authority. •
39 services through smartphones from Dubai Police
13December 2013 - Issue 122
Smart Tech
In the last issue we tackled the concept of Big Data as one of the requirements imposed by the transformation to “Smart City.” In this issue, we look into another requirement that is indirectly related to Big Data techniques, which is the “smart call centre.”
The reality of the government call centres
Adopting the “customer service” model implemented by Dubai Government has brought about a major shift in the development of government-service delivery channels, including the provision of services online and via smartphone, as well as the launch of the customer service and call centres instead of the traditional operator system that represented an experience of suffering and dissatisfaction for the client.
The governmental call centres in Dubai have made enormous strides in attaining customer satisfaction, as they include a cadre trained to deal with the client and having ample knowledge of government actions. Moreover, the call centres of some departments are open throughout the day and during holidays and festivals. Some centres bear the full responsibility of implementing and completing transactions, most of which adopt a customer service system enhanced by reference codes and many other advantages.
Limitations of traditional call centres
Despite all of the features of government call centres, there are fundamental limitations making them sometimes unable to provide services to the customer, including:1. Peak hours: Contacting the call centre
in the peak hours is a real challenge, and in some centres, clients have to wait a long time, which leads to preference for physical visits.
2. High cost: The provision of integrated and professional call centres enhanced by sufficient numbers of qualified staff comprise major challenges and requires enormous costs borne by government agencies.
3. Conflicting information: Some call centres suffer from conflicting government information, where these centres offer information different from that of the customer service counter.
Smart call centresIn order to overcome the problems
mentioned above, smart call centres represent a new horizon that takes channels of government services to a new dimension of comfort and satisfaction for the smart techniques they provide, including:• Automated speech recognition:
Smart technologies currently provide automated speech recognition, and the ability to analyze and process words and sentences directly. The feature has been applied by some of the call centres effectively, such as Dubai Financial Market’s call centre, which identifies the name of the company whose share price the investor would like to inquire about, and provides him/her with an immediate response.
• Analysis of voice tag: Technologies currently provide the possibility to identify the voice tag of the phone caller, a great feature that enhances the safety and reliability of eServices as it ensures that the caller is the person who has the right to access his/her own information and then perform actions.
• Virtual Care Worker: A new feature introduced by smart call centres where the system can identify the caller’s voice through the automated speech recognition. The system can identify the status of the caller’s
transaction once he/she speaks and recall the previous call records and the procedures conducted during each phone call.
• Contact via the data network: Smart call centres receive calls from fixed or mobile phones, at the same time they can receive calls via the data network, allowing these centres to obtain additional information about the client, such as determining the geographical location directly, and downloading files and photos from his/her phone Mobile, thus allowing to provide services that cannot be provided through personal contact centres.
• Link to mega data: The linking with the mega data centres helps smart call centres to provide a unique experience in dealing with the public, based on the general pattern of the everyday needs of the clients, and thus callers feel that they are dealing with a real entity that recognizes, analyzes and is characterized by the capabilities of thinking and creativity.
• Dealing with huge communications: Smart call centres increase or decrease the number of the virtual workers as needed, therefore, clients will not have to wait in peak hours, and the cost of operating these centres decreases significantly.
Finally, it should be noted that relying only on automated systems without providing human support in public service will be a big mistake, because humans are the only element capable of dealing with special cases.
Perhaps providing smart call centres with smart systems will be a step forward towards a unified contact centre, one of the most important enablers of an integrated smart government.•
Can a call centre be smart?
14 December 2013 - Issue 122
Smart Cities
The vision of his Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai is to make Dubai one of the smartest cities in the world. Delegations from His Highness have visited many other smart cities to learn from and apply the best practices for Dubai.
What does smart city mean? The term “smart city” is still an uncertain term and
definition since it is only recently that it is gaining usage and credibility. Some define it narrowly: a city that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver services to their citizens. However, others have broader definitions: smart cities use ICT to be more intelligent and efficient in the use of resources, resulting in cost and energy savings, improved service delivery and quality of life, and reduced environmental footprint--all supporting innovation and a low-carbon economy.
There are four key elements that determine the success of smart cities. 1. Citizens and enterprises
The key players in smart cities are their citizens and the enterprises engaged in industrial activities there. Together they will realize an optimum society.2. Quality of life of citizens
The objective of smart cities is to further enhance the quality of life (QOL) of their citizens.3. Clear vision
It is essential for smart cities to have a clear vision and to be promoted in accordance with that vision.4. Always evolving
Smart cities will continue to evolve ahead of the needs of citizens and changes in the local communities.
Smart cities around the world 1. Vienna. Vienna was the only city that ranked in the top 10 in
every category: innovation city, regional green city, quality of life and digital governance. Vienna is establishing bold smart-city targets and tracking their progress to reach them, with programs like the Smart Energy Vision 2050, Roadmap 2020, and Action Plan 2012-2015.
2. Toronto: The highest rated smart city in North America, Toronto also scores pretty well across the board. Recognizing its importance in the movement, IBM recently opened a Business Analytics Solutions Center in Toronto. Toronto is also an active member of the Clinton 40 (C40) megacities, which seek to transition to the low-carbon economy. The private sector in Toronto is collaborating too, creating a Smart Commute Toronto initiative in the hopes of increasing transit efficiency in the metro area.
3. New York: New York scored higher than most other cities in the ranking in all of the categories outside of quality of life, where it ranked a low 47th. New York partnered with IBM in 2009 to launch the IBM Business Analytics Solution Center to address “the growing demand for the complex capabilities needed to build smarter cities and help clients optimize all manner of business processes and business decisions
4. Tokyo. Tokyo is the first Asian city on this list, scoring well in the innovation and digital city categories. Last year, the city announced plans to create a smart town in the suburbs. In partnership with Panasonic, Accenture, and Tokyo Gas (among others), the eco-burg will contain homes that integrate solar panels, storage batteries, and energy efficient appliances all connected to a smart grid. Tokyo is also focused on promoting smart mobility solutions. •
Smart cities around the world
15December 2013 - Issue 122
News
Dubai Smart Government (DSG) is conducting a feasibility study for a Shared Disaster Recovery Site (SDRS) among 31 Dubai government entities, in compliance with the recent Dubai Government Information Security Regulation for managing a secure government information security environment, ensure business continuity and contribute to the sustainable development of Dubai as a smart city.
The objectives of the feasibility study are to understand and evaluate the current capabilities and needs for SDRS among Dubai Government entities and identify pros and cons including implementation, location and operational costs of a Dubai Government Shared Disaster Recovery Site. The three month study has two phases: the first phase which began in September was to study the issue and gather information through site visits and workshops with government partners while the second phase expected to be completed by end November will come up with recommendations for the buy or build model of a Dubai Government Shared Disaster Recovery Site. These recommendations will include datacentre design, specification, space utilization, use of cloud and shared network infrastructure, ROI, alternative solutions for disaster recovery; with actual implementation of the site in the first quarter of 2014.
H.E Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai Smart Government and Chairman of Dubai Government’s Information Security Committee, said: “This step comes in implementation of the decision issued by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, on Dubai Government’s information security, which is aimed at devising an integrated strategy that would lead to a unified policy for protecting the government’s information and information systems and at providing a reliable environment for storing and recovering such information and information systems based on the world’s best practices.”
Bin Humaidan stated: “The importance of disaster recovery is further underscored when we take into account the rapid developments that have paved the way for Dubai to become a knowledge-based smart society, as well as meet the smart government requirements by providing innovative and secure services and applications. Our feasibility study will provide a blueprint for optimal investment in a Dubai Government Shared Disaster Recovery Site, which will minimize and rationalize spending, enhance the optimal use of government resources and hence support the wise leadership’s vision for the UAE to become one of the top countries in the world by 2021.”
Dubai Trade, the premier cross-border trade facilitator, has welcomed the ‘Doing Business 2014’ report released by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
According to the report, the UAE has moved to number 4 globally in the “Trading Across Borders” category up from its 5th rank in 2013. The UAE has also retained its rank as the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the same category.
The United Arab Emirates has jumped three slots this year to number 23 in the world in the Ease of Doing Business report 2014, out of 189 economies ranked for this year’s report. The UAE tops the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 5 of the 10 parameters on which the Ease of Doing Business report ranks the economies. The UAE is the best place in the world in [ease of] paying taxes and fourth in getting electricity, registering property, and trading across borders, while it is the fifth best globally in terms of dealing with construction permits heading the countries competing to host Expo 2020.
HE Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Chairman, Dubai Trade welcomed the report and said: “The UAE’s high ranking in this prestigious international report which evaluates 189 economies across the globe, is another clear indication that we are on the right track to achieving the goal set by our prudent leadership to be one of the best countries in the world by 2021.”
Currently in its 11th edition, the Doing Business report compares business regulations in 189 economies. It measures and tracks government regulations for small and medium-size enterprises affecting 10 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency.
Eng. Mahmood Al Bastaki, CEO, Dubai Trade was proud of the expected achievement which supports Dubai’s bid to host EXPO 2020.
“We gift this achievement to the leadership of our country who have always supported and encouraged us and whose vision has paved the way to position the UAE among the top countries in the area of facilitating trading across borders.” Mr. Al Bastaki said
According to the Doing Business report, procedures in the UAE match or surpass those in high-income member economies of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). For example, time to export and import in the UAE is 7 days while it’s 11 days to export and 10 days to import in OECD countries. In the MENA region it’s 20 and 24 days respectively. Cost of importing and exporting is much less in the UAE compared to OECD and MENA regions.
DSG conducts feasibility study on Shared Disaster Recovery Site
UAE 1st regionally and 4th internationally in facilitating ‘Trading Across Borders’
16 December 2013 - Issue 122
eServices Wizard
All details about the National Day are available for everybody through the official website of the UAE National Day www.uaenationalday.ae.
How to follow the UAE National Day activities via the website www.uaenationalday.ae
In order to follow all activities and celebrations taking place all over the different emirates, classified by day, please click on “UAE Celebrations”
The events can also be viewed through the calendar shown on the home page.
Through the website, information regarding the UAE and the origin of the National Day can be reached by clicking the link “About UAE” on the Home page.
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For more details about the website of the National Day, you can contact “Ask
