UAE Leadership Aims Global Leadership In Government Service Excellence Via Global Star Rating System

The UAE has launched the sixth cycle of the Global Star Rating System for Government Services, introducing new assessment rules that give strong weight to public opinion. Customer feedback now forms 65 percent of scores, as the system evaluates 29 federal entities and more than 190 service channels, including service centres, call centres, smart applications and government websites.

Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al Gergawi said UAE leaders aim to make the country the global benchmark for government services. Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE has, in under two decades, built a model that targets service quality comparable with, and beyond, the private sector.

Al Gergawi explained that the rating system, introduced 15 years ago by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, signalled a major shift in how the government views its role. The philosophy places service to people at the core of public work, with an ambition to reach a seven-star level by improving every customer journey and making services simpler and more integrated.

Speaking during the launch event, organised by the Emirates Government Service Excellence Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office, Al Gergawi highlighted a people-centric, future-ready services model. More than 100 senior federal officials attended, alongside over 70 newly certified assessors for the Global Star Rating System, who will evaluate performance across physical, digital and smart channels.

Al Gergawi said the sixth cycle brings qualitative updates aligned with national priorities such as proactivity, future readiness and zero bureaucracy. The design reduces time and effort for users, aims for faster transaction completion and uses smart measurement tools rather than relying heavily on site visits. Al Gergawi stressed that bureaucratic structures and traditional evaluation methods no longer suit an AI-driven, fast-changing world.

Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government, said the revised methodology shifts attention from process-heavy reviews to real outcomes for users. Of the final rating, 65 percent reflects service impact, while 35 percent relates to institutional effort. Bin Taliah said community feedback becomes the main reference for assessing how well services improve daily life.

Global Star Rating System for Government Services results and evolution

Reviewing 15 years of implementation, Al Gergawi said the Global Star Rating System helped redesign customer experiences and strengthened teamwork across entities. Customer satisfaction levels rose from 49 percent to more than 90 percent, supported by tools such as the "Customer Pulse" and the "Mystery Shopper", and by extending the system from service centres to digital and smart channels.

The UAE introduced the Global Star Rating System for Government Services in 2011 to align public services with international standards, using ratings from two to seven stars. The framework was upgraded in 2019 to reflect advances in digital services and wider technological change, ensuring service centres, online platforms and applications follow the same performance and quality rules across federal government.

The sixth cycle of the Global Star Rating System for Government Services builds on this record by combining advanced measurement tools, community feedback and clear performance targets. The initiative supports the UAE’s drive to deliver fast, integrated and user-focused services across physical and digital platforms, guiding entities as they design government experiences that match future expectations in the region and beyond.

With inputs from WAM