Mohammed Bin Talaiha, the head of government services in the UAE, stated that the government is racing against time in a transformative journey that challenges traditional management concepts, redefining its role as an enabling platform.
He emphasized that the initiative of eliminating bureaucracy reflects the leadership’s vision that values time as humanity’s most precious possession, measuring government efficiency by its ability to enhance people’s lives.
In an interview, Mohammed Bin Talaiha highlighted that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, announced the expansion of the program to entirely encompass digital bureaucracy.
He noted that the ambition for the second phase of the program is to effectively implement the principle of “data needed only once.” Achieving this requires strengthening collaboration between federal and local bodies, relying on smart interconnectivity, and actively adopting artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
The effective adoption of these elements, particularly AI and advanced technology, will be one of the main criteria for assessing government entities during the second phase of the program. Here is the key dialogue:
What are the objectives of launching the program to eliminate bureaucracy and the outcomes of its first phase
Under the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the launch of the program to eliminate bureaucracy extends from his philosophy of building agile, fast governments that place human welfare at the core of governmental work, designing services based on people’s needs and aspirations. In the UAE, the design of governmental services is driven not by templates or regulations but by a genuine desire to significantly improve people’s lives.
His Highness’s directives were clear—there is no room for any procedure that does not add value; there is no justification for any step that wastes individuals’ time or impedes their ambitions. Our goal is a “government without complexity, services without waiting, and outcomes that make a real difference in people’s lives.”
The core concept of this program is based on the firm belief that traditional bureaucracy no longer suits an era characterized by speed and change. Delays, redundancies, and complexities are no longer acceptable in a system designed to empower individuals rather than hinder them.
Regarding the first phase of the program, it focused on a comprehensive review of the procedures that most impact people’s and businesses’ lives. Every step was analyzed, documentation was reduced, and transactions streamlined, yielding clear results.
There was a significant reduction in transaction completion times, enhanced performance efficiency, and the elimination of all procedures that do not provide genuine value. This included more than 4,000 unnecessary procedures being abolished, 1,600 requirements and documents removed, and a 70% reduction in service completion times, saving over 12 million hours for users.
The Leadership Vision
How does the program translate the UAE leadership’s vision, and what impact does eliminating bureaucracy have on individuals and society
The program to eliminate bureaucracy is a practical translation of a leadership vision that considers time humanity’s most valuable asset, and measures government efficiency by its ability to facilitate people’s lives rather than complicate them. This vision is not merely a slogan but a real operational methodology aimed at zeroing out complications and creating a governmental experience that places individuals at its center as partners in all developments.
In the UAE, individuals are no longer mere beneficiaries; they are essential partners in enhancing governmental experiences. Every reviewed procedure is assessed on whether it serves the individual.
If it does not, it is either abolished, simplified, or integrated. The clear goal is to ensure that the governmental experience is easy, swift, and highly efficient, with a direct impact on individuals, resulting in faster, simpler services and smoother experiences with reduced waiting or follow-up times. On a societal level, every moment we save for people is a new opportunity for productivity, channeling energy towards creativity and innovation.
Digital Bureaucracy
If the second phase targets the elimination of digital bureaucracy, what are the mechanisms for achieving 100% reduction in digital bureaucracy
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a significant expansion of the program to include digital bureaucracy entirely, marking this phase as the most ambitious. Digital bureaucracy comprises any complexities or barriers faced by individuals during their online interactions with government entities, ranging from technical errors and complex designs to poor interconnectivity and limited service availability.
Eliminating digital bureaucracy means crafting a burden-free digital experience from the outset. We aspire to have government services free of technical errors, available at all times, user-friendly, built on interconnectivity principles, and highly reliable. These services enable individuals to complete their transactions on the first attempt without needing to repeat steps, seek assistance, or revisit processes.
The operational mechanisms in this phase focus on joint teams from governmental entities that review and continuously improve every digital journey, measuring not only completion times but also user satisfaction and the success rate of transactions completed on the first attempt.
Unified Window
With multiple applications and portals, are you moving towards a unified smart window to ensure digitalization does not transform into a veiled bureaucracy? Are there challenges to eliminating digital bureaucracy
Under clear directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we are ensuring that digitalization does not morph into a disguised form of bureaucracy. Digitalization is not an end in itself but a means to simplify people’s lives and achieve a more efficient and smoother government experience.
At the onset of digital transformation, some entities focused on merely converting paper forms into electronic templates without fundamentally re-engineering the experience. This approach is no longer acceptable. The program to eliminate bureaucracy confirms that the objective is not to digitize complexity but to eliminate it at its core.
Indeed, digital transformation must be built from the user’s perspective, delivering a hassle-free experience that is simple from start to finish without repetitively requesting data or unnecessary steps.
In the second phase of the program, we aim to effectively implement the principle of “request data once,” which can only be achieved through strengthening interlinkages between federal and local bodies, relying on smart interconnectivity, and actively adopting artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
The effective adoption of these elements, particularly AI and advanced technology, will be key criteria for evaluating government entities during the program’s second cycle.
Cultural Change
The leadership’s vision is that eliminating bureaucracy is not just an action but a cultural shift. How does the program aim to change the culture of government work
The leadership’s directives are clear: eliminating bureaucracy is not a temporary measure or a technical project but a comprehensive cultural shift in how government entities think and how we design and deliver our services. The true challenge lies not only in changing tools but in changing mindsets.
The program to eliminate bureaucracy has been designed to instill this new culture through a collaborative work model, placing government entities in proactive rather than reactive roles, transforming each entity into a contributor to experience enhancement rather than a mere recipient of directives.
Key to this change are the monthly meetings held by government entities, where success stories are shared, challenges discussed, and solutions generated collaboratively. These gatherings serve not just to meet but as platforms to foster a culture of continuous improvement, openness, and learning from one another.
During the first phase, this model significantly contributed to tangible achievements, as it created institutional momentum both internally and externally, increasing awareness of the real impacts of actions on individuals.
In the second phase, we will continue and strengthen this approach because we believe that any governmental transformation is not complete unless it is ingrained as a daily work culture within entities rather than as temporary programs. Just as building culture requires practical tools, motivation is also essential for instilling this new mindset.
Thus, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has directed that awards be given to the best entities and teams, totaling 7 million dirhams—the largest in governmental history—recognizing efforts that make a difference in people’s lives and serve as a model for change.
The Private Sector
What role does the private sector play in the program to eliminate bureaucracy? Is there a collaborative effort between the private sector and government entities
The private sector is not a separate entity from the governmental work ecosystem but a key partner in designing and improving services, enhancing the overall economic environment’s efficiency. In the program to eliminate governmental bureaucracy, we believe the private sector has a crucial role, whether through sharing insights and experiences or highlighting the challenges it faces within business cycles, which could help in redesigning government procedures to be more adaptable and responsive to economic realities.
Collaboration with the private sector involves not only listening but also working together. We learn from the private sector, whether in speed or in focusing on user experience, and we strive to transpose these practices into the governmental work environment, enhancing our competitiveness.
This ensures a more attractive and stable business environment, and in the next phase of the program, there will be a greater focus on expanding partnerships with the private sector and leveraging its perspectives, especially regarding services related to investors and entrepreneurs.
Economic and Social Value
What are the economic and social impacts of the program to eliminate bureaucracy in the UAE, and how are they measured
The program to eliminate bureaucracy is not merely an organizational initiative; it is a developmental project with clear economic and social dimensions. Each unnecessary procedure eliminated, every simplified service, and every minute we save equates to economic value reinvested into growth and social opportunities that enhance quality of life.
The economic impact is evident through reduced time and costs, minimized administrative waste, accelerated business operations, and creating an environment for investors that is smoother and more stable. On the social impact level, the program empowers individuals, eases daily pressures, and elevates satisfaction and trust in the government.
In terms of measurement, we assess the real impact by analyzing the time taken to complete services, the number of abolished or simplified procedures, and the level of user satisfaction. In the first phase alone, over 1.2 billion dirhams were saved for users and businesses due to reduced transition costs and wasted time—figures reflecting the program’s seriousness and tangible effects.
Community Partnership
Do users play a role in enhancing government efforts within the program to eliminate bureaucracy? How are they involved in the design and development of government services
In the program to eliminate bureaucracy, users are not viewed merely as service recipients but as essential partners in its development and enhancement. Involving users is foundational to any governmental effort aimed at providing valuable services.
The experience is not crafted within offices but begins in the field and on the ground, informed by the voices of users themselves. Thus, user councils have been activated to serve as platforms for direct dialogue with various community segments, where challenges are raised, experiences are discussed, and solutions are collaboratively built. These councils are not merely advisory but constitute a vital resource for guiding teams towards realistic priorities that individuals face daily.
Innovative methodologies have also been adopted to engage users at every stage of reviewing and redesigning procedures and services: from observation to testing and evaluation, including utilizing the insights gained from user pulse surveys, mystery shopping, and actual user experiences.
The user experience serves as the compass, and their voice is the primary motivator for any advancements we pursue. Therefore, involving users is not an option but a necessity to ensure that governmental services genuinely reflect community needs and expectations.
Mohammed Bin Talaiha
There is no room for any procedure that does not add value, and no justification for steps that waste users’ time.
Our goal is a government without complexity, services without waiting, and results that bring real change to people’s lives.
AI will be a key metric in evaluating the elimination of digital bureaucracy.
The first phase of the program saved 1.2 billion dirhams.
We abolished 4,000 procedures and removed 1,600 requirements and documents.
70 %
Percentage reduction in service completion times.
12
Million hours saved for users.
The upcoming phase will focus on strengthening partnerships with the private sector.
User experience is not designed in offices but starts from reality and the voice of users themselves.
User councils will serve as platforms for direct dialogue among various community segments.