Page 50 - ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services – Executive Summary

Smart Dubai has applied a coherent strategy and policy for ESS and have concretely delivered a large number
of ESS with favourable uptake from the customers. Smart Dubai strongly believes that the positive ESS
experience in Dubai will be beneficial for other countries too. With strong leadership and political will at the
top, other cities could also implement similar ESS for their public sector entities. This can be supported by
the adoption of appropriate strategies and policies, well-defined governance frameworks and robust
operational processes, which take into account the specific urban requirements for each city.
The cost savings gained through the “whole-of-government” approach, have paved the way for reallocating
these funds to better serve the needs of the public in Dubai. Dubai Government has been successfully able
to divert and utilise these cost savings for its core public services.

The Dubai ESS approach has been taken as a model for public digital transformation for other Emirates. Some
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are also following the same approach and learning from Dubai’s
experience in this domain. It is important to note that the implementation approach of ESS can vary based
on the actual context of the public sector (in terms of stakeholders, expectations, culture, institutional
framework, etc.). However, the benefits (as outcomes) are expected to be similar, thereby advocating for the
implementation of ESS.

A References

Smart Dubai Government ESS Overview.

Smart Dubai Achievement Report 2014-2016.
Smart Dubai Government Lean Administration Support Services Project Reports 2016.

B List of discussion partners/interviews

Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr

Director General, Smart Dubai Office
Younus Al Nasser
Assistant Director General, Smart Dubai Office

Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Data Establishment
Wesam Lootah

Chief Executive Officer, Smart Dubai Government Establishment

This case study has been prepared by:

Dr. Okan Geray (Smart Dubai)
The author would like to thank several members of the Smart Dubai Government Establishment for providing
comments and information on service features and data related to services.

46 U4SSC series