Dubai e-Government creates awareness of its initiatives among overseas UAE students

Dubai, UAE
As a first step to this program, Dubai e-Government has recently conducted a detailed presentation for UAE students studying at Bahrain University in order to acquaint them with the aim, overview and strategies of the e-Government initiative. Organized by the UAE Embassy in Bahrain during the UAE Cultural Week, the presentation has been conducted by Salem Al Shair, Director, e-Services, Dubai e-Government to give students an insight into the benefits for overseas national students.

"Young national students who are residing overseas often need important information, legal documents or urgent government assistance from their home country. By offering integrated e-services through the portal www.dubai.ae Dubai e-Government is opening a 24-hour communication channel that will facilitate the lives of the students and assist them to update their records and documents," said Al Shair, Director, e-Services Dubai e-Government. "This initiative aims to be a vital link between the overseas national and his home country and will provide a window for UAE nationals students to follow the events that are taking place in Dubai besides providing necessary information and services. It will also allow our students to communicate with the government from all over the world"

The presentation was in keeping with the Dubai e-Government objective to educate significant segments of the national community in order to strengthen the foundations of a technologically aware future population and share Dubai's e-Government with other GCC countries. It provided an overview into the various initiatives undertaken by the Dubai e-Government. The main objective is to enhance efficiency in the government services provided to the general public. Since its launch in October 2001, Dubai e-Government has emphasized its intention to provide essential government services through electronic means within 18 months and offer 70 per cent of all government services through innovative channels by the year 2005.

The presentation stressed on the integration of a wide range of government services in Dubai through a single electronic gateway that will align and enable all the government departments to unify their services. Al Shair emphasized that transparency and commitment is the philosophy followed by the Dubai e-Government in the implementation of their e-services.