The UAE has ranked first in the region and eighth globally in the smart electronic services index, part of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (DESA) E-Government Development Index (EDGI) Survey 2016.

The UAE prominently featured major developments in its e-services, said UN DESA’s Vincenzo Aquaro, chief E-Government Branch, Division for Public Administration & Development Management.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, director general of UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said: “We have been consistently working hard to achieve the best for our country and citizens. The inclusion of the UAE among the leaders in this field is a great honour as we belong to a country that does not accept less than the topmost position, and we tirelessly strive to achieve leadership and excellence, following the wise directives of our leaders that is embodied in UAE Vision 2021 and its National Agenda.”

“The TRA has been working hard to achieve its visions where UAE will be a world leader in ICT Sector and rise to the ranks of developed nations in this sector,” he added.

“Remarkably, in 2016, there are more countries with very high EGDI values — 29 countries in total,” stated Aquaro, noting the UAE together with Switzerland, Slovenia and Lithuania among the top-tier performers in the development of eServices. This achievement reflects the growth of national capabilities in e-government.

“Countries in all regions are increasingly embracing innovation and utilizing new information and communication technologies to deliver services and engage people in decision-making processes,” Aquaro noted.

The UAE ranked 29th in the overall index for the development of e-government services issued by the UN recently and eighth in the e-services index, which placed the country closer to its biggest goal of becoming the first worldwide in e-Smart Services based on National Agenda indicators. – TradeArabia News Service