• Emirate is investing in digital transformation and data harnessing capabilities to sustain services and track people’s requirements while working 100% remotely

Dubai, UAE, March 29, 2020 – The Dubai Government has optimised its use of digital infrastructure, applications, and services to allow government entities to continue serving people during the period of ‘working remotely announced by the government to protect people’s health.

Smart Dubai revealed that the current situation unfolding around the world and the tremendous efforts undertaken to ensure public safety have put the city’s smart infrastructure – and the services that rely on it – to test. This, eventually, demonstrated the efficacy of decades of strategies and investment in technology and human resources. With hundreds of vital services available remotely, Dubai has succeeded in that regard.

Smart Dubai announced that opening and sharing data, coupled with the series of smart solutions implemented across the emirate allows government entities to monitor the city’s activities and needs, detecting and delivering to any change in people’s requirements in real time. This allows the government to respond quickly and maintain the situation as close to business-as-usual as possible, in light of the extensive preventative measures that seek to ensure that people stay in their homes and not go out unless necessary.

Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai, said: “Over the past few years, we have relied on smart services in various areas of our work and have succeeded, guided by our leadership’s vision for a smart transformation, to create an ecosystem of infrastructure, services, legislation, and governance practices that made the transition towards working remotely ever so seamless. To quote His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, "Over the past 10 years, we have invested in smart learning, electronic and smart services to enhance our readiness for emergencies and disasters. Today we are reaping the fruits of our strenuous efforts as evidenced by the continuation of our educational process and basic government services. We are being proactive in dealing with global health conditions."

“Dubai’s smart infrastructure and applications, including the data solutions Smart Dubai has launched over the years, allow government entities to make smart decisions based on accurate city data, such as the movement of public transportation and crowds, as well as statistics on the use of digital service platforms online or through smart devices,” H.E. added. “This, in turn, enhanced government entities’ ability to adapt to working remotely, empowering various sectors, most notably the education sector, to easily and efficiently comply with the requirements of working remotely.”

The Dubai Government has demonstrated incredible efficiency and ability to respond quickly to global developments and ensure efficient operations at all times and under all conditions. This is in line with the vision of the wise leadership and a result of efficient strategies set to build integrated and sustainable government operations. The Dubai Government noted that efficiency was maintained after entities began implementing systems to work remotely.

Smart Dubai is committed to cooperating with its government partners, and as the ‘digital backbone’ of all government entities in Dubai and the government department in charge of leading the smart transformation process, Smart Dubai sought to ensure full preparedness before implementing the system to work remotely. Smart Dubai conducted simulated training for employees, having 50% of the team work remotely, and then have the other half follow. Eventually, the entire team was able to work from home, supporting the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of disease and ensure highest public health standards. A plan to help Dubai Government entities work remotely has been in place since early 2019, and has been implemented as and when required by each respective government entity.

Dubai’s Remote Services

The network of digital services and programmes Smart Dubai has introduced since its inception, in collaboration with government partners and the private sector, has supported the rapid integration of Dubai Government employees into the system that assists ‘working remotely’. This has resulted in a set of services and applications that have proven effective under various circumstances – particularly the one we face today.

The Government Resource Planning System (GRPS) service and the Smart Employee application act as an administrative portal for all human resource tasks, as well as procurement, financing, and internal accounts. Meanwhile, mobile applications such as DubaiNow and UAEPASS become all the more important as authorities try to implement social distancing.

Smart Dubai collaborated with government partners to launch a set of vital, everyday services that the emirate’s inhabitants need. Dubai Now offers 116 services from 33 entities, allowing users to pay bills, including DEWA, Etisalat, and du; avail vehicle-related services, such as renewing vehicle registration, paying traffic fines, and paying for fuel; locate open pharmacies, clinics and available doctors; and much more.

Smart Dubai launched a campaign titled ‘Stay In, We’ve Got You Covered’ to raise public awareness about these services.

Supporting and Empowering Employees

The Smart Employee application offers a wide range of solutions from 71 government entities in Dubai. It is used by nearly 52,000 employees and provides services including: applying for and enquiring about annual leave; requesting certificates; making purchases; punching in and out for the workday (in lieu of using fingerprint scanners); attendance and authorisation records; accessing information about salary, including salary certificates; exploring team hierarchy; searching for and contacting employees across Dubai Government entities; and several other day-to-day tasks that can be completed quicker and solely through the application.

Empowering the Private Sector

As for the private sector, the infrastructure established by Smart Dubai and its partners allow private organisations to carry out their work remotely, especially in sectors such as restaurants, freight, and other jobs that seek to meet people’s needs. This advanced infrastructure in the UAE in general – and Dubai, in particular – enables these companies to carry on at least a part of their business through smart applications.