UAE Pass User Base Surges To 7.2 Million In 2023, Signifying Digital Advancement

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, the Director-General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), recently highlighted the significant strides the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made in its digital transformation journey. The UAE's digital identity, known as UAE Pass, has seen a remarkable increase in user engagement, jumping from 4.6 million users in 2022 to 7.2 million in 2023, marking a 57 percent increase. This surge is attributed to the integration of UAE Pass with private sector institutions and the introduction of visitor registrations on the app.

Al Mesmar emphasized the utility of UAE Pass in enabling access to 35 types of trusted digital documents, with over 8.8 million such documents already issued. The platform's digital verification service has authenticated more than 230 thousand documents, ensuring their reliability and authenticity for both users and service entities.

The official portal of the UAE government, U.ae, serves as a cornerstone in the nation's digital landscape. Since its inception, it has evolved into a primary source for government information and services. The launch of its new version, aligned with the United Nations' requirements for information provision and user engagement in service design, has significantly boosted its user base. From 1.5 million annual users in 2017, the portal now boasts approximately 17.5 million users in 2023.

Further enhancing its digital offerings, the authority has introduced Generative AI technology through the 'Ask Us' service (U-Ask), available in multiple languages. This initiative aims to provide precise information about services and policies on the portal, marking the first phase of a broader project to incorporate artificial intelligence for improved efficiency and user satisfaction.

Al Mesmar also shed light on the UAE's focus on bolstering its digital infrastructure to maintain a leading position in digital transformation. He highlighted the success of the 2023 digital parliamentary elections as a testament to this commitment. The elections featured a fully digitized process from registration to voting, achieving an impressive 92.69 percent turnout for remote voting. This not only increased international voter participation but also reduced operational costs and voting time, showcasing a globally unique digital electoral experience.

The UAE's dedication to enhancing its digital infrastructure and integrating advanced technologies into government services underscores its ambition to lead in global digital transformation efforts. With a high internet usage rate of 99 percent, the country is well-positioned to continue its trajectory towards becoming a fully digitized society.

With inputs from WAM