The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority issued the UAE Digital Transformation Enablers report, highlighting the important milestones of the digital transformation process through a series of initiatives.
The report reviewed the digital enterprises undertaken by TDRA, the most important of which are the Federal Network, UAEPass, the Government Service Bus and the national customer relationship management system (NCRM), the government agency said.
"The UAE was one of the first countries to launch the e-government project at the beginning of the millennium and then continued its leadership in the next various stages to reach the digital government we live in today, which is consistent with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the era of data and advanced technologies supported with artificial intelligence," said Mohammad Al Zarooni, TDRA deputy director general for the Digital Government Sector.
The UAE leads the Arab world in digital progress and preparedness for the future, a separate survey issued by the Portulans Institute in collaboration with Google said. The Emirates stood third – with Singapore claiming the number one spot – among 27 emerging global economies, the Future Readiness Index survey said. The UAE was ranked 23rd out of 123 countries.
The UAE has also ranked among the world's best countries in terms of government digital transformation, becoming the only Arab nation in this group, said the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index 2021 that measured the reliance on modern tech in government work in 198 states.
The Emirates also ranked 21st globally in the UN e-Government Survey 2020, advancing eight positions over 2016, in terms of online services, telecom infrastructure and human capital.
The Gulf country also came ninth globally in the IMD Digital Competitiveness Ranking.
The TDRA has a mandate to work on two parallel and integrated tracks, which are to regulate and enable the ICT sector and advance the country's digital transformation.
The TDRA's report highlighted the main enablers of digital transformation in the UAE, such as the digital signature (UAEPass), the digital verification platform (UAE Verify), the digital trust platform, the digital services marketplace, the Government Service Bus (GSB), the UAE Hackathon and the API Marketplace, among others, to showcase the facts, figures and results related to these enablers.
UAEPass, a platform that allows residents and visitors to access government services using a unified digital identity, has 2.66 million people registered to this service, the TDRA said in its report.
The Digital Vault within UAEPass allows users to request their official digital documents and link them to their digital identity. It has 1.7 million registered users and facilitated 2.8 million transactions and shared 1.1 million digital documents.
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
THE SPECS
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
