Page 44 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

10 Million UAE Users from the Beginning of the Year Until October 2020

The General Authority for Regulating the information dealing with the pandemic, such as travel procedures, return
Telecommunications Sector (TRA) announced that of residents from abroad, visas provisions and entry permits in light
U.A.E has hit a new record in its number of users, of COVID-19, in addition to topics of supporting the labor market in the
reaching nearly the 10 million mark during the period private sector during the COVID-19 outbreak. Plus, government services
from January to October of this year, an 50.73% increase are accessible around the clock, with UAE PASS replacing SmartPass. The
over 2019, where the number of users in the same period official portal of the UAE Government (U.AE) was launched on 24 May 2011
was 6.54 million. During January-October 2020, U.A.E by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and
saw an increase in its number of users from abroad by Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to act as a single window for
about 3 million users, compared to 2 million during the online information and services provided by federal and local UAE entities
same period of 2019, a 22.37% increase in the current to individuals, visitors and business owners.
year over the previous one. India came first in number
of users from abroad, followed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
United States, and finally the United Kingdom. Such
results reflect, in part, the tremendous efforts by the
portal team in content and service development. They
also reflect the change in user choices as a result of the
status quo where online activities witness a significant
increase such as working remotely, distance learning,
browsing, searching for information on websites and
accessing government services remotely through the
official portal, which provides many prompt government
services accessible around the clock. U.A.E serves
citizens, residents, visitors and investors by providing
all information on government developments, laws,
policies, services and trends. It is characterized by being
the world’s only portal with a domain name consisting
of one letter “U”, which refers to self “You” and carries
meanings of union and uniqueness that characterize
the UAE. Commenting on this remarkable progress
in portal visits, H.E. Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy
Director General of the Information and mGovernment
Sector, said: “U.A.E serves as primary reference for
people seeking information and government services
in general.” The remarkable increase in visitor numbers
demonstrates the relevance of U.A.E and efficiency of its
team in providing information of interest to all segments
of the UAE community. U.AE has contributed to the
continuity of business amid the current circumstance,
by providing a significant number of e-services, and
providing a broad range of information needed by UAE
residents or visitors. Through its four sections, U.A.E
covers key topics about the UAE, including information,
services, e-participation and media. Section one covers
UAE’s history, economy, political system, government,
plans, strategies and initiatives. The ‘Information and
Services’ section incorporates topics of employment,
investment, tourism, infrastructure and visa systems,
as well as a full list of all government services in the
country. The E-participation section includes channels
of communication with the UAE government, advisory
platforms, live chat, etc. Given the current exceptional
circumstances the world is going through, a number
of new topics were added to enrich the portal with

44 NOVEMBER 2020