Chapter Forty-Two: DIGITAL SERVICES – The UAE IS ALL IN!
It is becoming easier and easier to do business in Dubai.
Dubai is vanguardist – pioneering smart government and the simplification and digitalization of any processes you might need in your Immigration and Business Set Up / or Business Development
There is a new law on the matter: Law No. (9) Of 2022. It regulates the provision of digital services in Dubai. The Law seeks to accelerate the emirate’s digital transformation, enhance the provision of digital services, and promote the digitization of services in both the public and private sectors.
Government departments will have to offer online services in multiple languages and at no extra cost to the customers. In a statement made by Dubai Government Media Office, the move — which officials have one year to implement – seeks to accelerate the emirate’s digital transformation.
Government entities and judicial authorities, including Dubai Courts and Dubai Public Prosecution, as well as non-government entities in Dubai, are all – and with no exceptions – required to provide digital services to their customers.
Departments that once required people to visit government offices to pay bills or fees, to get tenancy contracts approved and stamped, and to pay traffic fines, have largely moved such services online.
At this moment, Utilities and internet payments happen on app-based portals. Securing a residency visa or driving license happens with a single in-person visit while Officials have recently cut red tape and fees to make it faster and cheaper to set up a business too.
The Law outlines the conditions for providing digital services and adopting digital identities for obtaining subscribed services as well as cybersecurity requirements set by Dubai Electronic Security Centre. The Law also covers the conditions for electronic payment solutions approved by the Department of Finance in Dubai; service continuity in the event of disruptions; digital services approved by the Digital Dubai Authority; and provision of services in Arabic, English and other languages.
The Law also states that federal and local legislations on digital transactions and digital signatures will apply to digital services in Dubai.
