Sheikh Mohammed: worst government services to be named

Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai issues stark warning to government offices against offering anything less than the best services in the world

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the release of 430 prisoners to mark Eid Al Adha. Reuters

Hundreds of government service centres will be assessed for their quality, beginning today, to determine which are excelling and which are under performing.

On Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the services of 600 government centres would be evaluated with the results due to be revealed on September 14.

He said the results would name the worst five centres and celebrate the five best.

Sheikh Mohammed's announcement came with a stark warning to the government offices.

"My message to all officials: we will not be satisfied with anything less than the top position worldwide in our services and facilities," he said.

The announcement from Sheikh Mohammed comes two months after he criticised poor standards at a government service centre and pledged to remove staff who are not performing well.

The criticism was prompted by a photo of lengthy queues at a branch of Emirates Post that he received from a mystery shopper. At the time he spoke of the need for a broader focus on customer service and "transparency" in public services.

"This is not our level. These are not our services. And whoever continues to provide such level of services will not be among my team," he said.

Committed to improving the quality of services, Sheikh Mohammed has frequently carried out unexpected inspections of government offices to ensure high standards are being met.

Last year, he carried out an inspection of Dubai International Airport and called upon airport officials to "raise the bar" in welcoming travellers and simplifying procedures for people flying in and out of the UAE.

He also famously toured Dubai's Land Department and the Department of Economic Development, in 2016, finding empty desks on the morning that staff were due to return to work after a long weekend.