Definition

The UAE digital government maturity model is a unified reference for the electronic/digital government in the UAE. It is a guideline for all digital transformation aspects, which measure the ability to create a digitally mature and sustainable government. Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) launched the first edition of UAE Digital Government Maturity Model in April 2018 in cooperation with Albany State University, USA. The second edition, launched in 2021, aimed to bring the UAE to the top rank internationally, in the online service index of the biennial UN E-Government Survey. It considers the following:

• Global digital maturity models
• UAE federal and local digital maturity models
• UAE leadership in smart government
• The UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence
• National Innovation Strategy
• Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021.

The UAE maturity model is compatible with all local electronic governments. They are classified according to five levels from very low maturity to very high maturity. The final results will be guiding for improvement of digital maturity level for each government entity.

Assessment mechanism

The Digital Government Maturity Model Framework (DGMMF) (PDF, 2 MB) for the UAE is composed of three main dimensions as follows:

Dimension 1: Leadership and Policies

This dimension consists of four key pillars. They are:

1. leadership
2. strategy
3. governance
4. legal.

Dimension 2: Technological Accelerator

It consists of three key pillars. They are:

1. technology
2. cybersecurity
3. specific technologies and new trends.

Dimension 3: Organisations and Data

It consists of two key pillars. They are:

1. API ecosystem management
2. Ministry/authority specific.

Most dimensions have a set of sub-dimensions that guide enabling actions that each ministry or authority might take to increase their maturity along each dimension. Each sub-dimension has a set of specific items to be used by each ministry/authority to determine their level of maturity for each sub-dimension and dimension. The five levels of maturity in the DGMMF range from Level 1 representing a very low level of maturity, to level 5 representing a very high level of maturity.

The responses to the assessment provide an outline for a roadmap for a successful digital government transformation. They may either be included in the overall assessment or as an addendum for a better understanding of how they are using technologies for some of their specific functions and services.

The goal

The UAE digital government maturity model aims to enhance the UAE leadership and competitiveness in digital government for society’s happiness. Furthermore, it aims at the following:

• Enhancing the UAE rank in the online service index (OSI)
• Promoting the UAE digital transformation
• Motivating positive competitiveness among the seven emirates in digital transformation
• Enhancing the UAE trend towards adoption of the 4^th industrial revolution technologies and artificial intelligence

Benefits

• Provides an accurate an clear tool to assess the level of each emirate progress in digital transformation, which reflects the UAE’s progress in the online service index (OSI) of the United Nations’ E-Government Survey
• Provides a panoramic view of services provided by hundreds of local and federal government entities, and helps in finding gaps and matching plans of concerned entities
• Achieves global leadership in related indexes, and local goals including community happiness
• Enhances the leadership of UAE, which launched future shaping initiatives to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals.