DUBAI, 22nd May, 2025 (WAM) -- The Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation hosted the third edition of the UAE Government's Digital Readiness Retreat, bringing together 1,000 leaders and senior officials from federal and local ministries, government entities, and leading national and international companies. The event addressed the latest trends in digital governance, discussed integrated solutions for community-focused technologies, and explored how to strengthen government readiness in the new digital era.

During the retreat, the second edition of the UAE Government Digital Transformation Report was launched, highlighting achievements across key sectors such as economy, finance, human resources, health, education, society, culture, youth, citizenship, residency, foreign affairs, security, justice, infrastructure, energy, logistics, and the environment.

The retreat also featured the launch of the Digital Transformation Leadership Programme by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), the signing of MoUs to promote inter-sectoral cooperation, and a high-level meeting of the UAE's digital leaders.

The retreat aimed to promote digital integration across federal and local entities, the private sector, and tech providers. It showcased pioneering UAE government digital solutions, addressed emerging global trends and technologies, and introduced new concepts for impactful digital governance.

Held in strategic partnership with the TDRA and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security, the retreat was supported by e&, the Government Transformation Partner, and Presight, the Digital Transformation Partner, alongside government tech partners Microsoft and ServiceNow. The retreat served as a platform for knowledge exchange and best practices to enhance the UAE's digital competitiveness.

Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future and Chair of the Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation, emphasised that today's global leadership is no longer determined by resources alone, but by innovation, rapid tech adoption, and the societal, economic and global impact of innovative solutions.

She noted that the UAE completed 173.7 million digital government transactions in 2024, offering 1,419 digital services to more than 57 million users, achieving 91% satisfaction rate. These efforts placed the UAE 4th globally in the World Bank's Digital GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) and 11th in the UN's E-Government Development Index and IMD's World Digital Competitiveness Ranking.

Al Roumi emphasised that the UAE has moved beyond digital transformation toward a renewed digital mindset that keeps pace with rapid advancements. The key question for the future, she said, is not whether governments adopt technology, but how leadership evolves in a tech-driven era, where effective leadership is defined by the ability to harness collective intelligence between humans, machines, and data.

Majed Al Mesmar, Director-General of TEDRA, said the 2025 retreat serves as a powerful accelerator for a human-centric, innovation-led digital government. He shared key milestones, namely full federal integration through FEDNet, over 1500 digital integrations, and more than 2.6 billion digital transactions. The national digital identity has surpassed 11 million users, enabling the issuance of 20 million documents and sharing 12 million official e-documents. The AI-powered government assistant responded to over 500,000 inquiries with a human-like tone and 99.7% accuracy.

"These advancements support the "Zero Government Bureaucracy" initiative, which has already eliminated 2,000 redundant processes and cut service delivery time by 50%. We aim to turn day-long services into one-hour processes, and hour-long processes into minutes," he stated. "Our vision is to make the UAE the best place to live and work in, guided by emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and quantum computing," he concluded.

Lt. Gen. Suhail Al Khaili, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security, described the retreat as an important platform for exchanging best practices in digital transformation. He shared that the Authority completes over 7 million transactions daily, i.e. more than 200 million per month as assessed in April 2025, 5 million of which are accomplished daily thanks to digital integration with over 292 public and private sector entities.

"The Authority's digital transformation journey has been marked by richness, creativity, and innovation in tackling emerging challenges. The clear vision of the UAE's wise leadership and its determination to shift from paper-based to smart government in a short time have played a pivotal role in accelerating digital transformation across entities, allowing them to deliver proactive services that promote the UAE's global leadership," he added.

Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, emphasised that cybersecurity is a fundamental pillar of sustainable digital transformation and a key enabler of digital readiness. It ensures the continuity and efficiency of digital services in an environment characterised by rapid challenges and ongoing shifts. He highlighted that, under the guidance of its wise leadership, the United Arab Emirates continues to strengthen its position as a global leader in building a secure and reliable digital infrastructure.

Dr. Al Kuwaiti noted that the Cybersecurity Council, in alignment with a comprehensive vision and the directives of the Supreme Committee for Government Digital Transformation, is actively working to establish a sustainable digital defence ecosystem.

He underscored the importance of forging strategic partnerships both nationally and internationally to address cybersecurity challenges and to develop innovative digital solutions that align with future ambitions. He concluded by reaffirming the UAE's steadfast commitment to a secure and forward-looking digital transformation journey.

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of e& UAE, stated that the retreat embodies a holistic vision built on agile policies, smart partnerships, and skilled talent. He stressed that traditional infrastructure is no longer sufficient, and innovation is needed to keep pace with digital complexity, especially with the rise of AI as a vital economic and societal force.

Khalid Murshed, CEO of e& enterprise, added that the UAE's leadership, talent investment, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) have positioned local entities for global success. He stressed the need for integrated, AI-ready digital infrastructure in vital sectors like health, education, and government services, while underscoring the shared responsibility for data protection and cybersecurity.

Thomas Pramotedham, CEO of Presight and the retreat's Digital Transformation Partner, described the event as a national call to action. "The Digital Readiness Retreat is more than just a gathering-it's a national call to action. It brings together the architects of our digital future to align on a shared vision: building an AI-native government that leads globally in innovation, efficiency, and citizen-centric services.

As the UAE accelerates its journey as a world-leader in AI and digital transformation, this retreat serves as a critical platform for collaboration and inspiration in achieving the vision of our leadership. We are proud to be the official Digital Transformation Partner of the event, and as a homegrown Emirati company, our mission is to drive sovereign AI that powers national resilience and economic transformation, he added.

During the retreat, TDRA launched the Digital Transformation Leadership Programme, targeting executive-level leaders to equip them with the tools, knowledge, and vision needed for systemic digital transformation. Delivered in partnership with the University of Birmingham and the National University of Singapore, the programme emphasises strategic thinking, proactive tech adoption, and the integration of digital capabilities into government work.

The retreat further explored future digital readiness through interactive sessions, workshops, and expert panels with global thought leaders.

Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security, delivered a keynote address under the theme "Digital Empowerment and Readiness".

Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, delivered a keynote titled "Hand in Hand, We Shape the Digital Future of a Safe Society," emphasising proactive cybersecurity and the role of public-private-community collaboration in creating a safe and seamless digital experience.

Senior UAE officials shared government success stories in a panel titled "Digital Leadership: Inspirational Government Practices." Participants included Sharif Alolama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Khalil Al Khoori, Undersecretary of Labor Market and Emiratisation Operations, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and Khalid Albustani, Director-General, Federal Tax Authority.

Another panel, "Citizen-Obsessed Government," featured leaders from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai discussing user-centric digital transformation. Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director-General, Sharjah Digital Department, Mohammad Al Zarooni, Deputy Director-General for the Information and Digital Government Sector, TDRA, Wesam Lootah, Director-General of Digital Government, Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement, and Matar AlHemeiri, Chief Executive, Digital Dubai Government Establishment, emphasized the retreat's role in fostering collaboration across government entities, noting that shared effort is key to success in an era of rapid digital change.

Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director-General of Sharjah Digital Department, emphasised that the Digital Readiness Retreat reflects the UAE's firm commitment to building an agile and smart government through digital integration. He described the participation of Sharjah Digital Department as a practical expression of a unified digital vision deeply rooted in the UAE's values, which is focused on people-first transformation.

He highlighted the drive to embed corporate agility, integrate digital systems across local and federal entities, and place customer needs at the heart of service design. "True transformation is driven by visionary leadership that shapes the future and creates real impact, measured not by promises, but by results," he said.

Wesam Lootah, Director-General of the Digital Government, Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement, stated that the retreat is a national platform aligning strategies for the government of the future, innovating for people, investing in infrastructure, and adopting emerging technologies to improve wellbeing.

He revealed that under Abu Dhabi's 2025-2027 digital strategy, the emirate is working to become the world's first government fully powered by AI by 2027. The roadmap includes sovereign cloud computing and advanced infrastructure, paving the way for a globally benchmarked digital government.

AlHemeiri emphasised the pivotal role the Digital Readiness Retreat has played over the years as a key national platform in accelerating the UAE's digital transformation. He highlighted that the retreat continues to serve as a catalyst for innovation by enabling the exchange of best practices across federal and local government entities.

Futurist and author Brett King shared insights in a session titled "The Tech-Driven State: How AI, Fintech, and Digital Innovation will Reshape Government," highlighting both the challenges and opportunities of the AI-driven era.

In another session titled "Towards 2030: 5 Tech Trends Shaping the Future of Government," Dean Lacheca, VP Analyst at Gartner, identified trends such as AI agent adoption, AI governance platforms, disinformation defence, next-gen encryption, and pervasive hidden AI systems.

Thomas Pramotedham led a session on "Revolutionising Public Services and Operations: The Power of Big Data and Analytics," while a panel titled "Accelerating Government Transformation through Strategic Digital Partnerships" featured Microsoft's Naim Yazbeck, Core42's Kiril Evtimov, and ServiceNow's Jessica Constantinides. They explored how private sector innovation fuels government AI readiness.

The retreat also featured a roundtable for digital leaders. e& UAE hosted a session on "Post-Digital: Rebuilding Government Systems for the Future," while Presight led a workshop on driving change through digital transformation.

In a session titled "The Digital Rebuild," Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of e& UAE, addressed how to reimagine government systems through bold digital reforms. Khalid Murshed, CEO of e& enterprise, presented future-ready digital infrastructure models.

The retreat concluded with a session titled "What's Next for the 24/7 Hospitable Government?" featuring Adel Al Redha, Deputy President & Chief Operations Officer of Emirates Airline, Thomas Meier, CEO of Jumeirah Group, who shared cross-sector inspiration for future-ready government services.

Panellists shared insights from their respective industries, aviation, hospitality, and banking, on how they have maintained continuous service innovation. They highlighted the critical role of technology in designing personalised customer experiences, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering services around-the-clock. They also showcased success stories where digitalisation transformed service delivery into a seamless, customer-centric journey aimed at enhancing wellbeing.