What’s the real technology behind the UAE’s world-class public services?
The UAE’s e-government services are among the world’s best and frequently involve using cutting-edge digital technologies more effectively than the countries that developed them. The culture of public administration plays a central role in helping us understand the country’s proficiency. It also reminds us how acquiring the best technologies is often the easiest rather than the hardest part of…
The United Arab Emirates' public services are renowned for their high quality and often employ advanced digital technologies better than the countries that created them. This is largely due to the country's unique culture of public administration, which emphasizes the state's responsibility to ensure citizen comfort and well-being.
In September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that American citizens would soon be able to apply for their first passports online, building on the UAE's existing online renewal service since 2014. However, the UAE was still ranked ahead of the US in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, with its e-services being more uniformly high-quality across the country.
The discrepancy between the two countries isn't just about the technology. Technical factors include the fragmentation of identification systems in the US due to its federal structure, which hinders the creation of a centralized workflow. Administrative hurdles involve restrictive security measures that deter top talent from working in federal agencies. Socially, political partisanship in the US lowers politicians' motivation to improve government service delivery.
These surface-level differences stem from fundamental cultural distinctions. In the US, public administration has been shaped by 17th and 18th-century concerns about safeguarding government officials to ensure they act in the public interest. Conversely, the UAE's perspective emerged from a time when government was seen as the primary means of fostering development and prosperity. This reflects in the UAE's societal pillars, such as the UAE Vision 2021.
The cultural emphasis on citizen comfort in the UAE contrasts with the American history of fearing unchecked power, leading to a paternalistic view of governance. This difference in mindset has significant implications for how both nations respond to inadequate government services. While the US culture might view such issues as evidence of civil service failures, the UAE culture encourages agencies to rise to the challenge and overcome technical and administrative barriers.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
