Abu Dhabi City Municipality partners with Huawei to boost digital strategy

Authorities are turning to technology to make services more efficient and reliable

Abu Dhabi City Municipality is working with Huawei to develop its digital strategy. Courtesy: Reuters

Abu Dhabi City Municipality has strengthened its partnership with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei as part of an emirate-wide mission to deliver more services online.

The authority is aiming to boost reliability and efficiency by incorporating advanced technology in its day-to-day operations.

Ahmed Al Hammadi, acting director of the technical planning department at the municipality, said the strategy will encourage greater flexibility across all sectors of the authority.

“We are guided in digital transformation by the vision of the UAE leadership to enhance the service of our society through technology, by following the latest solutions in impeccable customer service,” he said.

“Huawei has proven that it is the ideal partner for the municipality, and we are happy to continue working with them permanently.”

Shi Li, chief executive of Huawei UAE, said that while digital transformation brings tremendous benefits, in terms of reducing costs, increasing flexibility and increasing productivity, it is key to manage the switch to online services effectively.

“We are honoured to continue our long-term partnership with the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, as data is the most valuable asset for any institution in our increasingly connected society,” he said.

“By taking advantage of our storage and data centres solutions and supporting the development of innovative industry, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City will continue to protect its data while simplifying internal operations as well.”

Abu Dhabi has been laying the groundwork for a smoother transition to digital platforms in recent months.

The Higher Committee of the Digital Government was formed in March to help emphasise the importance of a successful online strategy across the emirate.

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed, chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, said at the time that officials were working hard to secure the capital's reputation as a leading regional and international centre for digital development.

More than eight million online government service transactions were completed in Abu Dhabi last year.

The importance of having a strong and reliable digital framework was made clear in the early months of the coronavirus outbreak.

Not only did schools successfully transfer to remote learning, but many government services switched online as safety measures limited face-to-face interaction.