Heads of Dubai Government entities reiterate commitment to continue working to realise the vision of the leadership

- Heads of Dubai Government entities reiterate commitment to continue working to realise the vision of the leadership and accelerate digital transformation as the city achieves top ranking in UN’s 2022 - Local Online Service Index

Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri: “This achievement further consolidates Dubai’s position as a leader in developing innovative digital services designed to raise people’s quality of life.”

Mattar Al Tayer: “The high global ranking is a tribute to the leadership’s vision to turn Dubai into the world’s ‘smartest’ city that offers the highest quality of life.”

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer: “These exceptional results confirm that the government is on track to make Dubai the ‘smartest’ city in the world.”

Helal Almarri: “Achieving the top spot in vital indicators in the 2022 Local Online Services Index is a testament to the success of our digital transformation journey.”

Dawoud Al Hajri: “We are proud of this achievement, which has been made possible by the efforts of all Dubai government teams in turning the vision of our leadership into reality.”

Heads of Dubai Government entities today said the emirate’s high ranking in the Local Online Service Index (LOSI) 2022 issued by the United Nations places greater responsibility on them to maintain Dubai’s leadership in e-governance and the digitisation of services in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

Dubai was ranked first in the Arab world and fifth globally in the Index with outstanding scores in Institutional Framework, Content Provision and Service Provision, consolidating its reputation as one of the world’s best e-governments. The city also received fourth ranking in the Technology index. The 2022 Local Online Service Index assessed digital governments in major cities across 193 countries.

The Dubai Government officials stressed their commitment to continue accelerating digitisation of government operations and services in line with strategic plans to raise quality levels and efficiencies.  

His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, said: “Being recognised by the United Nations as the world’s best government in terms of services, content and institutional framework in the Local Online Services Index 2022 is an exceptional accomplishment that has been made possible by the vision of our leadership. Dubai’s leadership has always been committed to implementing the highest international standards in smart services, digital content and integrated institutional operations.” His Excellency stressed that this achievement further consolidates Dubai’s position as a pioneer in developing innovative digital services and adopting new advanced technologies to provide people easier access to services and raise their quality of life. This global ranking has been made possible by the spirit of teamwork, and the seamless cooperation between various departments and sectors under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who said ‘we never settle for anything less than the first place in all fields’.”

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, said: “This achievement is a tribute to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to work to constantly enhance the wellbeing of people in Dubai and turn it into the world’s ‘smartest’ city. Furthermore, the close follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has been instrumental in raising our capability to meet and even exceed global benchmarks in all areas of government excellence. His Excellency reiterated RTA’s commitment to contributing to realising Dubai’s vision to accelerate digital transformation by harnessing the organisation’s technological and operational resources. We have transformed our customer offering by developing smart, innovative and user-friendly services across digital platforms.”

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, said: “These exceptional results confirm that the Government of Dubai is on track to make Dubai the ‘smartest’ and happiest city in the world and a global role model for quality of life and service excellence. This achievement has been driven by the forward-looking vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives and follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE. At DEWA, we have embraced innovation and the adoption of the latest technologies to contribute to Dubai’s emergence as a leader in digital governance. We have reworked many traditional operational and service models to ensure we are aligned with global changes. Through Digital DEWA, the organisation’s digital arm, we have worked to redefine the concept of a utility by providing all our services through various digital channels, including our website and smart app. DEWA’s services achieved a 98.99% rate of smart adoption at the end of the first half of 2022.”

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “This latest accolade further underlines Dubai’s status as a global hub for innovation and excellence. Guided by the prudent strategy of the emirate’s visionary leadership, Dubai continues to enhance its rankings in key global competitiveness indicators. In line with the strategy of the Fifty-Year Charter, which seeks to raise technical, scientific and digital excellence in Dubai and the UAE, and create a resilient, agile and dynamic economy, this latest recognition reflects the exceptional performance of our institutions, supported by the dedication and tireless efforts of their teams. Achieving the top spot in vital indicators in the 2022 Local Online Services Index is a testament to the success of our digital transformation journey that has seen us embrace innovation in services based on best practices and international standards. Dubai continues to move forward steadily and sustainably towards realising the vision of our leadership to make it the best city to live, visit and work in. We are committed to further enhancing collaborative efforts across the public and private sectors to maintain and build on these achievements, creating further opportunities for Dubai to receive international recognition and reinforce its global reputation.”

His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: “We are proud of this achievement, which is the result of the efforts of all Dubai government teams in turning the vision of our leadership into reality. Under the leadership’s direction, Dubai has steadily enhanced its capabilities to provide digital services to its people by harnessing advanced technology. These efforts have raised the community’s happiness and created services that can be smoothly accessed anywhere any time, saving citizens, residents and visitors considerable time and effort. Dubai’s high ranking also reflects the flexibility and institutional agility that are hallmarks of all government agencies in the emirate, and the priority it has placed on enhancing competitiveness in all fields. Dubai’s experience and expertise in digital transformation has created a model for cities across the world. We deeply appreciate all the entities and teams that have contributed to achieving this feat and will continue to work to ensure Dubai is ranked highly in various global indicators.”

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs conducted the first integrated assessment of local governments in the UN E-Government Survey 2018, which was a pilot study featuring 60 different indicators limited to just 40 cities, including Dubai. The 2020 edition of the survey was expanded to include 100 cities and around 80 indicators. The 2022 edition covers cities in every country in the world and includes a total of 86 indicators.