DUBAI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Dubai launched on Sunday the e-governance scheme "Smart Dubai 2021" with the objective to eliminate all paper works at government institutions as of 2021.
In a ceremony launching the announcement, the Crown Prince of the emirate of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan said his government "will issue its last paper transaction in 2021". That year will mark the first calendar year after Dubai Expo 2020.
The Crown Prince was presented by various departments of the emirate of Dubai (2.75 million inhabitants), such as the roads and transport authority RTA, the first initiatives toward a paperless e-governance.
As of today, Dubai residents and tourists can pay parking tickets with their smart phones, and immigrate through Dubai airport international airport with their Emirates ID card or a Smart Card after having registered their passport data and biometric data.
The objective is that even the issuance of the Dubai residence visa for foreigners or the foundation a company will be done paperless and online by 2021, by connecting all Dubai government departments on one platform called Dubai Pulse, explained Mohammed Shael Al-Saadi, the CEO of Corporate Strategy of the Dubai department of economic development.
"In our Business Village in Dubai-Deira, we already run several test center where people can found a firm without any paper work at PC terminals and a cup of coffee, and no government employee around," he explained.
Dubai Pulse will be "the backbone of Dubai's transformation and shift toward smart technologies," he added.
