Smart Dubai has announced details regarding the recent decision issued by the Strategic Affairs Council – part of The Executive Council of Dubai – to mandate UAE PASS as the only digital identity to be used by citizens and residents to access government services in Dubai.
Smart Dubai had put in motion an initiative called ‘The Digital Future’, developed as part of its 100-day plan for the ‘Government Development Track’ – one of the six tracks announced by the Dubai Council, which was inaugurated at the beginning of 2020 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. The initiative aims to expedite the rate of the adoption of UAE PASS by citizens and residents, which will lay the foundations for a digital future across the government and private sectors.
The Strategic Affairs Council had adopted the UAE PASS policy in the Emirate of Dubai as of May 1, 2020, as one of the Dubai Councils’ initiatives. The decision was motivated by UAE PASS’s potential to drive development across the government service ecosystem; enhance communication between local and federal entities on one hand, and the private sector on the other; and grant citizens and residents access to government and private-sector services.
UAE PASS eliminates the need to physically visit customer service centres and submit paper identification documents. It provides an authorised digital ID through smartphones, and includes a digital signature feature allowing users to sign official documents. Users can access more than 5,000 government services by using a single username and password.
Smart Dubai’s main objective from implementing the Digital Future initiative is to save time and effort for individuals in the city, helping them lead happier lives. Smart Dubai also seeks to keep up with technological advancements, support the emirate’s digital transformation, and drive the transition towards a digital government. With its digital signature feature and its ability to provide access to countless government services with a single set of login credentials, UAE PASS adds an element of trust to digital government transactions. The service has so far been adopted by 200,000 individuals.
Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai, asserted that the Strategic Affairs Council’s decision to mandate the use of UAE PASS by all individuals and government entities in Dubai will considerably accelerate its adoption across the entire Dubai community, and promote its use for various transactions in the UAE. “UAE PASS allows users to easily access services, as well as to digitally and remotely sign the necessary documents. This, in turn, supports Smart Dubai’s efforts to establish the emirate as the world’s happiest and smartest city,” H.E. said.
“In partnership with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, the UAE PASS project was launched in 2018 in an effort to support our wise leadership’s vision to build future-ready smart cities. It is in line with their plans for digital transformation, and supports the Dubai Paperless Strategy,” H.E. Dr Aisha explained. “The project demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration between government entities across the country, and its ability to create innovative tools that drive the transition towards fully automated smart systems.”
“Today, as we launch a policy for UAE PASSUAE PASS being the official gateway to access all Dubai Government services, we reap the fruits of years of hard work,” Dr Aisha noted. “This project has grown tremendously, setting an example to be followed in the way of joint government cooperation, and working together to develop national projects that serve all segments of the community, be they citizens or residents, and help them save time, effort, and resources.”
H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said: “The directives to adopt UAEPass in Dubai indicate the digital leadership of Dubai and the UAE as a whole, and it reflects the rapid progress towards a digital wellbeing future, that takes into account the happiness of society and individuals, through the provision of interconnected integrated services in which the public and private sectors participate, and accessible by customers anytime, anywhere, as they can enjoy a full interactive experience.”
UAE PASS offers the public a set of features that can positively and profoundly improve their experience when transacting with city services. The application allows easy access to all digital government services in Dubai and various federal and local services across the UAE – available on the websites and mobile applications of over 80 government and private entities – and accessible through a single set of login credentials. The authorised digital signature feature, meanwhile, allows users to sign government transactions or documents; verify their authenticity; share them with the competent authorities, in line with UAE legislation; and request and share data with service providers online.
Work is underway to implement UAE PASS in both local and federal systems across the UAE, which will address several challenges in government operations, such as the absence of a digital signature mechanism and the multiplicity of login information to services’ platforms.
For its part, Smart Dubai will work on a set of tasks, from developing plans to implement the system in the emirate and overseeing their implementation at various government entities, to developing the system in cooperation with relevant authorities and outlining frameworks to operate it. Additionally, Smart Dubai is tasked with authorising system operators in Dubai and overseeing the proper use of the system in accordance with pre-determined conditions.
UAE PASS is the first national digital identity for all citizens and residents, granting them secure access to smart services from various sectors in the UAE and from the convenience of their smartphones, in addition to enabling them to digitally and remotely sign documents. The UAE Central Bank adopted the initiative in September 2019, allowing all customers to accelerate the process of opening an account remotely, without needing to physically go to the bank.
The list of entities that have implemented UAE PASS in their digital transactions now includes 29 Federal Government entities, 22 Dubai Government entities, and 31 entities from the six remaining emirates, as well as 10 private-sector entities. In Dubai, the list consists of Dubai Economy, Dubai Police, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Knowledge and Human Development Authority, General Directorate of Civil Defence in Dubai, Dubai Land Department, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Courts, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Culture, National Bonds Corporation, Dubai Asset Management, Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Maritime City Authority, among many others.
Meanwhile, participating entities outside the Emirate of Dubai include Fujairah Police, Fujairah Municipality, Sharjah Economic Development Department, Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, and Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, among many others.
