A recent report issued by Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) shows remarkable business results and reinforces the centre’s vital importance in the development of information and communication technology in Abu Dhabi.

The report highlights the efforts of 55 Abu Dhabi-based entities and 44 federal government authorities that currently provide UAE citizens with 1114 different services through the Abu Dhabi e-Government Portal (www.abudhabi.ae).

Last June, the ‘5th Abu Dhabi e-Government Forum – ’Towards a Digital Abu Dhabi’ held by ADSIC, showcased some of the innovative and creative developments that are underway to transform the level of e-government services in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The event stressed the fundamental importance of information and communications, as well as the cooperation between governmental and non-governmental entities, to achieve the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision of a knowledge-based economy.

Among ADSIC’s most notable recent achievements, is the e-Citizen program, in collaboration with the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Core & Special Needs. The program currently offers a series of training courses to those who are not familiar with key online applications and e-government services and promotes digital literacy. Fresh training material will help people search for different locations of government departments, such as hospitals and schools. In addition, a new course entitled ‘Social Media For All’ will provide skills to use social media sites and provide awareness on e-safety.

Another important initiative was the launch of the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Center (800555) in Al Ain, where 100 per cent of the workforce is made-up of Emiratis. Set-up in collaboration with the private sector, the contact center aims at enhancing the quality and speed of services provided to customers and accelerating the response process to all calls and comments.

Among the 60 newly introduced interactive mobile services, CityGuard is helping to engage and empower the Abu Dhabi community. ADSIC’s campaign to encourage people to use the free app - that allows Abu Dhabi residents to easily take a picture, video or audio clip and submit non-emergency cases relating to public safety, consumer protection, environmental issues, public works, transport and public services to the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre via a smartphone - was extremely successful. During the first half of 2014, the app was downloaded 43543 times, while cases reported through the app increased eight per cent during the same period.

The 5th edition of ADSIC’s annual e-Fair has once again proved to be one of the leading recruitment exhibitions in the UAE, offering employment opportunities in both the public and

private sectors by means of a virtual platform that allows job seekers to connect with reputable organizations throughout the country from the convenience of their homes. ADSIC launched the fair in 2009 to complement its online job search engine, Jobs Abu Dhabi (www.jobsabudhabi.ae) and accommodate the ongoing search for employees.

ADSIC was also responsible for strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position on the world map in the field of information technology by means of its e-Citizen Program, a free training that enables people with a limited knowledge of technology to learn how to use computers and the internet. The program won a first place prize in the category of ‘Information Technology Applications and e-Learning’ during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) conference in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this year. 

In terms of international partnerships, ADSIC continues to work closely with Esri, as per Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed back in 2012, to ensure collaboration between both parties on the Advancement of Spatial Thinking, GIS Planning and Monitoring, GIS Licensing and Support, and Outreach and Sharing of Best Practices. This year, a delegation of 40 government officials participated in the widely recognized Esri User Conference (Esri UC), held in San Diego, USA. Driving Abu Dhabi Government’s agenda in advancing the Emirate’s geospatial capabilities, the delegation joined thought leaders from all over the world to find solutions to local, global and industry problems, learn the latest in spatial analysis, web and mobile apps, location analytics, big data, open data, and the ArcGIS platform.

ADSIC also participated in the "Middle East Forum for Geospatial Data," held in Dubai last February, shared some of its own expertise with international specialists and learned from countries that have made progress in the area of ​​government design and delivery of geospatial data services. During the event, ADSIC gave a powerful presentation confirming the vision and strategy of the Abu Dhabi e-government, emphasizing on its focus to enable government agencies in providing integrated services and contributing to increased interaction with its customers.

A Saudi delegation from the General Secretariat of Holy Mecca was welcomed by ADSIC to examine details, accomplishments and success factors of the Centre’s Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure Program (AD-SDI). The visit from Mecca reiterated the keenness of the Abu Dhabi government to share best practices such as the Centre’s Abu Dhabi Spatial Data infrastructure Program, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Finally, ADSIC concluded and celebrated its accomplishments for the first semester of 2014 during the seventh No Objection Certificate (NOC) Program Steering Committee Meeting. The Committee, created specifically to lead the NOC Program, got together to share updates, discuss the next steps towards further improvement of government services and ensure that Abu Dhabi continues to improve customer satisfaction levels in order to boost economic and social growth. 

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