The Ministry of Finance and Industry to implement the UAE Federal Government E-Gateway

The meeting was attended by a number of specialized technical consultancy firms.

Commenting on the meeting, Dr. Mohamed Emir Mavani, Director of Group Public Sector Reforms, said: " The Electronic Portal project comes in line with the requirements of the E-Government project. It is a vital component in the overall project as it provides electronic linkage to all ministries and government entities. We held this meeting today to clarify to the companies the requirements and expectations of the project's team, to stress the importance of deploying state-of- the-art technologies in this field, and also to ensure the implementation of the best international practices in Electronic Portals."

Mohammed Qambar, Director of Information Systems Department at the Ministry, added: "UAE Portal would act as an electronic delivery vehicle of government information and services via the Internet. Through the collaboration between all federal ministries and bodies, the Portal would be a powerful tool for visitors, be they businesses, employees, or citizens, to access information and Federal reports."

"Our vision of the UAE Portal extends beyond mere technological innovation." Said Maha Al Aidarous, Deputy Director of Information Systems Department. "It also aims to strengthen the collaboration and coordination between all ministries and federal bodies as the Portal would be an electronic encyclopedia of information and Federal services. We expect to link the Portal with the existing electronic services and the ones that will be implemented in the future under the umbrella of the E-government project. In fact, our primary target is the satisfaction of the visitors of this Portal," she added.

The Electronic Portal project's team provided all necessary clarification to the participating companies in order to guide them in their efforts to design the most appropriate gateway. Once it receives proposals and suggestions from interested firms, the Ministry will issue an official Request for Proposal comprising comprehensive details of the project.