ABU DHABI // Smart government apps will lead the way to greater innovation and more integrated, user-friendly systems, authorities say.
Regional leaders in m-Government yesterday gathered at a forum in Abu Dhabi to discuss trends and the ways of best harnessing digital technology.
“We’re in the process of developing a new channel to extend services to businesses and customers and enhancing this to enable departments to shift to a smart government,” said Mansoor Al Marzooqi, strategy manager at the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre.
“We’re developing comprehensive digital services so customers receive all government services, regardless of the services required.”
The next phase for the UAE – which is seeking to establish itself as smart government leader in the region – will be to win users over to the latest apps.
“The common work between various government departments will play an important role to assist this development and shift,” Mr Al Marzooqi said. “It will also redraw government services in a modern way, led by innovation and creation.”
Ahmed Buhazza, director of e-service delivery and channel enhancement at the e-Government Authority of Bahrain, said there was a need to make apps more useful.
“We need to build more engagement ideas,” Mr Buhazza said. “You need to be agile, and an app should be more flexible and convenient.”
Governments will need to look at their services from a consumer’s perspective, the forum heard.
“Government services are among the fastest uptake, especially in this region,” said Khaled Jaouni, regional managing director for e-Government company, Accela.
“Initiatives that are well executed and have tangible benefits for consumers automatically tend to sell themselves, like the Abu Dhabi Business Centre, which allows investors to start a business.”
Mr Jaouni said a new data-sharing collaboration was being created between government and users.
“Collaboration between community and government to improve the lives of everyone is a key benefit we’re starting to see today,” he said.
“The future is also going to be about interconnecting government to government, and more collaboration on the government to citizen side.
“There are silos of systems but one silo is never going to be able cover the whole system, so sharing information is the way forward.”
Ahmed Al Sayyah, general manager at the Ras Al Khaimah e-Government Authority, said: “The future is innovation because people look for the best services to make their life easier.
“We are building an m-Government to help citizens have a better channel to apply for their services.”
Maha Muraish, director of digital services at telecoms giant Etisalat, said it all began with a change in thinking.
“We’re taking innovation in various steps,” Ms Muraish said. “We need to shift our mindset as we’re in the digital era so a lot of mindsets have been changed to cope with that.
“We need to make sure in the end that the UAE vision is met so there has to be a collaboration. We can then provide much better services to our consumers.”
Dr Usman Zafar, chief executive of DUC Consulting International in Dubai, said the UAE had invested much in m-Government.
“We spend lots of money but we have to find out how effective we are in delivering the messages,” Dr Zafar said.
“There’s a shift across the world now.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
