The second edition of the Digital Transformation Status Report for the United Arab Emirates, prepared by the Supreme Committee for Government Digital Transformation, was unveiled during the recent Digital Readiness Retreat. The report highlights the achievements of the UAE government and its performance in digital domains, showcasing its leadership in global competitiveness indicators related to technology and digital transformation.
This report analyzes the digital transformation accomplishments within federal ministries and governmental entities across 12 vital sectors, including the economy, financial services, human resources, healthcare, education, community, culture and youth, residency and foreign affairs, security and justice, infrastructure and energy, logistics, and environmental sector.
Her Excellency Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and Future and Chair of the Supreme Committee for Government Digital Transformation, affirmed that digital readiness, accelerated digital transformation, and the use of technology to eliminate governmental bureaucracy and simplify citizens’ lives are pivotal aspects of the UAE leadership’s vision. The government is committed to translating this vision into projects and initiatives that enhance governmental efficiency and improve community quality of life, aligning with the state’s goals for the Year of Community and addressing future aspirations.
The report outlines the savings generated by the digital government, indicating a total benefit of AED 368 billion for users and AED 20 billion for the government, with 530 million work hours saved and a reduction in the governmental carbon footprint by approximately 55.8 million tons.
According to the report, the total number of digital transactions completed by the UAE government reached 173.7 million, while the number of visitors to federal government websites was 131.5 million. Government applications were downloaded 26.3 million times, and the UAE government offers a total of 1,419 digital services, including 195 priority digital services.
The report noted that customer satisfaction with digital services stood at 91%, with over 57 million users benefiting from these services. There are currently 460 digital transformation projects underway within federal entities.
In various crucial sectors, the report discussed the state of governmental digital transformation, including digital government, economy, finance, human resources, healthcare, education, community, justice, security, residency and foreign affairs, infrastructure, energy, logistics, and sustainability.
In the digital government sector, the number of users of the unified digital identity reached 10.8 million, with 15,000 associated services available. Additionally, the number of transactions conducted through government service linkage totaled 2.6 billion.
In the economy sector, digital tax transactions comprised 5.2 million, and there were 316.8 thousand requests for certificates of origin, along with 64.1 thousand applications for trademark registration and renewal.
The report highlighted that the financial sector’s digital transformation facilitated 8,300 transactions for registering and renewing suppliers in the federal registry, completed 2,500 transactions for approving and renewing staff in financial market companies, and processed 1,000 transactions for renewing foreign investment fund registrations.
In the human resources sector, 13.2 million digital transactions were accomplished for issuing new work permits, 8 million transactions for issuing and renewing employment contracts, and 1.2 million training hours were provided through the “Jahez” platform to enhance the readiness of government talents.
The digital transformation in the healthcare sector led to 2 million transactions for dispensing medications via robotic pharmacies, 1 million chest X-ray examinations using artificial intelligence, and 437.9 thousand telemedicine consultations.
In education, digital learning resources were made available for 1.4 million beneficiaries, with 445.7 thousand transactions processed for registering college courses online.
Regarding community services, the digital transformation helped respond to 115.6 thousand digital inquiries about community empowerment services, completed 243.8 thousand transactions for Zakat and charitable donations, and managed 125.7 thousand digital requests for religious rulings and Zakat calculations.
In the justice, security, and judiciary sector, 4.2 million traffic violation payments were processed, along with 1.5 million transactions for renewing vehicle ownership and 417.8 thousand transactions for issuing criminal status certificates. In the residency, visitation, and foreign affairs sector, 4.7 million transactions for issuing and renewing identity cards were completed, as well as 1.6 million transactions for renewing private sector work permits and 596.2 thousand digital document authentication transactions.
In infrastructure, energy, and logistics, 5,900 transactions for housing assistance requests were completed, along with 68.5 thousand permits for national transport vehicles and 3,000 licenses for regulated nuclear activities. Meanwhile, the environmental sector achieved 76.6 thousand transactions for issuing phytosanitary certificates for export or re-export, 39.6 thousand veterinary health certificates for export or re-export, and 59.9 thousand transactions for clearing agricultural products imports.
In the cultural sector, 2,400 transactions for library membership grants, 368 transactions for registering borrowed cultural items, and 162 transactions for renting theaters and event spaces were accomplished.
It’s worth noting that the first edition of the Digital Transformation Status Report was launched during the Digital Readiness Retreat held in May 2024, covering 12 government sectors in the UAE and analyzing digital transformation accomplishments within federal institutions and key sectors such as the economy, financial services, human resources, healthcare, education, community, culture, youth, residency and foreign affairs, security and justice, infrastructure, energy, logistics, and the environment.