Austrian delegation briefed on Dubai e-Government strategy

The minister, who is on an official visit to the UAE from Graz, which is the hi-tech capital of the Austrian province of Styria, was accompanied by a team called the DigitalGraz Delegation, comprising a broad-based group of 14 members representing the Austrian government, major Austrian multinationals and universities. The presentation, based on the vision, strategies and operations of the Dubai e-Government initiative, was conducted by Anas Haddad, Content Manager, Dubai e-Government.

"On behalf of the Austrian Ministry and the rest of my team, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to the Dubai e-Government for hosting this delegation. We hope that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between the two countries," said Pairel. "Dubai has witnessed a spurt of tremendous growth and development in the last five years, thus converting it into the Silicon Valley of Arabia. The aim and objective of the DigitalGraz Delegation is to build bridges between the high-tech community of Graz, Austria and global initiatives like that of the Dubai e-Government, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and similar projects in the region. We are looking forward to learning about the Dubai e-Government venture, its goals, strategies, initiatives and operations as well as strengthen ties between the two countries. We are visibly impressed by the high degree of efficiency and sophistication carried out in the implementation of various e-services," he added.

"We would like to take this opportunity to introduce Mr. Herbert Pairel and his team to the e-Government initiatives as well as exchange views of mutual interest. The e-services offered by Dubai e-Government will go a long way towards facilitating the trade relations that already exist between the two countries," said Salem Al Shair, Director, e-Services, Dubai e-Government. "The launch of Dubai's e-Government services is a significant step towards creating an information society that ultimately benefits the public in every aspect of their daily lives. It has consistently generated an overwhelmingly positive response and has proved to be a source of great pride to the emirate."

The detailed presentation by Haddad provided an overview of Dubai e-Government and emphasized the integrated and holistic approach adopted by Dubai e-Government in developing its vision, strategies and operations. He reiterated the well-defined vision for Dubai as stated by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister "Dubai needs to become a leading business hub in the new economy." The coherent vision, which includes core purpose, core values and a series of long-term goals, will align and enable all the government departments to unify and work towards a common goal.

Haddad highlighted the unique "Life Stages" approach, which offers constituents a varied set of services related to a life event, applicable to both the private and business customers. Each life stage must be associated with a clear complex event and it clearly identifies the need and expectations from the Dubai e-Government.

The presentation, which was evidence of the IT revolution taking place in Dubai, evoked great interest among the visiting delegation from Graz. Pairel explained that, "Graz has made phenomenonal inroads in technological advancement. By deploying cutting-edge technologies, it has indeed created waves, as the leading IT hub in Europe. Graz has displayed great potential in the fields of IP telephony, IP security, telemedicine and advanced imaging."

Dubai e-Government relies on the introduction of electronic methods, to enhance the working of the government. The implementation of Internet technologies, communication and advanced security, has enabled the e-Government to resemble an efficient business operation, that provides enhanced services to other governments, private institutions and citizens. The development of comprehensive e-services is not only expected to quicken the pace of delivery for all public services, eliminate red tape and inefficient processes, but also facilitate the government to position Dubai as a leading business hub in region.