Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai
The UAE’s Strategic Affairs Council has just announced that resident and citizens of the UAE will no longer need to present paper or hard copy proofs of identity for access to government services within the foreseeable future. Instead, people will have a digital UAE pass.
The digital pass will eliminate any requirements to physically visit customer service centers and submitting identification documents when looking to access Dubai Government services. With the UAE mandating strict guidelines for social distancing and staying at home during this pandemic, the country is making major efforts to make services just as efficient and accessible without being at any risk of contracting the virus.
What’s more is that the new digital pass comes as part of an initiative entitled, “The Digital Future,” which aims to accelerate the rate at which the UAE Pass is used by people who live in the country as it will allow for the private and government sectors to go digital.
Director General of Smart Dubai, Dr Aisha BintButti Bin Bishr, said in a statement about the new initiative, “UAE Pass allows users to easily access services, as well as to digitally and remotely sign the necessary documents. This, in turn, supports Smart Dubai’s efforts to establish the emirate as the world’s happiest and smartest city.” She also added that, “In partnership with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, the UAE Pass project was launched in 2018 in an effort to support our wise leadership’s vision to build future-ready smart cities. It is in line with their plans for digital transformation, and supports the Dubai Paperless Strategy.”
Eliminating the need to visit any customer service centers, the UAE pass issues users with a government authorized digital ID which will be stored via apps on smartphones, along with a digital signature which can be used to virtually sign any official paperwork.
UAE Pass users will have quicker access to over 5000 government services with the use of just a username and a password. At present, there are over 200,000 residents and citizens within the UAE who are using the pass.
With the aim of saving time & effort for individuals in Dubai, today we announce #UAEPASS as the only digital identity to access government services & sign documents digitally as mandated by Dubai Government. #SmartDubai pic.twitter.com/LdahTXee86
— Smart Dubai (@SmartDubai) May 17, 2020
Director-General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, also stated, “The directives to adopt UAE Pass in Dubai indicate the digital leadership of Dubai and the UAE as a whole, and it reflects the rapid progress towards a digital wellbeing future, that takes into account the happiness of society and individuals, through the provision of interconnected integrated services in which the public and private sectors participate, and accessible by customers anytime, anywhere, as they can enjoy a full interactive experience.”
