Smart Dubai’s Paperless Strategy

About the city. Over the past three years, Smart Dubai has implemented 137 initiatives and 1,129 services in more than 70 public institutions in the emirate.

Goal

The aim of the project is to achieve 100% digitization in the emirate by the end of 2021, with four departments having already reached this milestone. The strategy aims to identify all the major manual processes that require the use of paper and make them 100% digital.

Implementation period. The project was launched in February 2018.

Fact

Smart Dubai estimates that eliminating 1 billion sheets of paper used by the government each year could save enough money to feed 130 million children, prevent 130,000 trees from being cut down, and save 40 hours to give people more time to do what they love.

Solutions

The project requires the elimination of all paper transactions received from government entities by 2021. This means that all government agencies will stop issuing or requesting paper documents from citizens.
The project is implemented by digitizing internal and external transactions between government institutions. The Dubai Paperless Strategy is based on three main principles:

• smart solutions that will meet all the technological requirements to ensure paperless government transactions and procedures;
• legislation that introduces the necessary legislative changes to regulate paperless transactions in all institutions;
• the paper-free culture, overcoming the cultural barriers of individuals and institutions to promote paperless transactions and procedures.

In March 2020, Smart Dubai launched the “100% Paperless Stamp” initiative as part of the “Government Development Track” – one of six tracks announced by the Dubai Council, which was inaugurated in early 2020 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai. The “Stamp” is awarded to government organizations that have 100% implemented the Dubai Paperless Strategy, as a symbol reflecting the remarkable achievement of their complete transition to organizations offering digital paperless services and processes.

The digital transformation process coming from the government is a good start to raise awareness and to effect change, as the government structures are mandatory in people’s daily lives. Similarly, for a paperless office shift, a paperless board of directors is a great example of how boards can lead by example in an organization.

Team

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.

Timeline

• Smart Dubai has announced that 41 government entities have reduced paper consumption by more than four-fifths (83%) by the end of 2020, saving AED1.13 billion. This equates to processing almost 270 million fewer sheets of paper and, according to Smart Dubai, marks the beginning of the countdown to the Dubai government becoming “the world’s first paperless government.”
• Smart Dubai has announced the start of a countdown to establish the Dubai Government as the world’s first paperless government by fully implementing Dubai Paperless Strategy across all government structures in the emirate. Dubai’s goal is that after 12/12/2021, no government entity will issue any internal or external paper documents, and all of them will perform completely paperless transactions.
• Smart Dubai awarded the 100% Digital Stamp to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Sports Council, and the Dubai Statistics Centre.

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