Dubai Digital Authority announced a strategy to drive the new phase of the emirates digital ambitions

According to announcement from the government on Wednesday, Dubai has a vast network of over 23,600 free Wi-Fi locations. These areas cover the "majority of Dubai's metropolitan expanse" and are spread throughout various amenities. Locals and tourists can use the Internet for free at parks, beaches, malls, and other public places. At the same time, the Dubai Digital Authority unveiled a plan to advance the new stage of the emirate's digital goals.

The authority highlighted the emirate's progress on its digital journey, which began more than 20 years ago with the commencement of its e-government programme in 2000. An extensive digital effort that eradicated paper transactions by the end of 2021 came after this, starting with the Smart Government initiative in 2013.

Dubai has now set its sights on being the world's digital capital. Its digital penetration is highlighted by figures that the authorities have released:

• 99.5 percent of government services have been digitalized.
• The goal of a paperless government has been fully attained.
• Currently, 87% of all transactions involving government services are digital.
• More than 120 governmental mobile apps have been created.
• Governmental organisations reported 100% compliance with the Dubai Data Law and a compliance rating of over 80% with cybersecurity indicators.

Residents may access more than 170 public and commercial services from more than 35 organisations with the Dubai Now app. Parking fees, visa applications, police reports, garbage recycling, and traffic accident reports are a few of them. Since its debut, it has recorded over 23 million transactions totaling more than Dh12 billion. The app completed roughly 2.6 million transactions in the first half of 2023 alone, up from 2.1 million during the same period in 2022, a rise of 24% year over year.

The new plan of the Dubai Digital Authority aims to improve the quality of life for its inhabitants and citizens while establishing a cutting-edge digitally enabled economy and society. The plan is built on seven pillars: digital talent, digital economy, digital competitiveness, digital city, and data and statistics.

As per Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, director-general of Digital Dubai, Dubai's new digital strategy establishes a solid framework for a full digital existence and serves as a model for digital governance for future cities. Strategic indicators and performance metrics are being used to keep an eye on how these objectives are being achieved. The 'Dubai Transaction Index' measures governmental effectiveness in real time. In addition to giving the leadership a comprehensive picture of service performance across all government institutions, the index also enables users to keep tabs on the services that are being provided to them.

The 'Dubai Digital Cloud' initiative, introduced in July by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, aims to turn the government into a cohesive, intelligent ecosystem. The programme establishes an integrated platform that gives government bodies access to cloud services including storage, processing, and networking. It was developed through a partnership between Digital Dubai, government organisations, and significant industry heavyweights as Moro Hub and Microsoft.