MIDDLE EAST Population Register, ID Card system for UAE citizens
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has issued a proclamation introducing Federal Law number 9 for 2006 for the Population Register and ID Card System for all citizens and residents of the UAE mandating the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) for its implementation. The Population Register and ID Card project, which is the first project of its kind in the Middle East, is aimed at providing security for its holders by preserving their privacy and affirming their identities. Under the project, an advanced population register of all citizens and UAE residents would be established, and an advanced personal ID Card would be issued replacing many other identification methods such as labour cards, driving licences etc. The project envisages the inclusion of all family members above the age of 15, with each of the family members getting their individual ID number to be used for any governmental transaction and service.
Jordan to open ‘electronic gate’ Omar Kurdi, Jordan’s Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, has said that Jordanian government would soon launch the eOmar Kurdi Government project ‘electronic gate’ to enable citizens complete | July 2006
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procedures via Internet network connecting over 18 government institutions. Already, some 7,700 government employees have been trained to operate the system. The Italian government, in 2005, had contributed about EUR450,000 (US$565,969) to the project for implementing and developing e-Accounting and e-Procurement applications, and providing technical assistance to their implementation.
Dubai School of Government, Microsoft sign MoU Aiming to improve public administration and excellence in government standards and performance in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, Dubai School of Government (DSG) and Microsoft Gulf recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU, which was signed between Nabil Alyousuf, Executive President, DSG, and Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf, is to exchange expertise, technology infrastructure and support for specific research initiatives and projects.
Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager of Microsoft Gulf and Alyousuf, Executive President, DSG
According to Fakhoury, Microsoft would assist DSG in issuing case studies on ICT and eGovernment adoption and implementation in the MENA region; release an annual report in collaboration with international organisations to benchmark e-Government readiness in the Arab countries and highlight e-Government best practices in the MENA region; host regional policy forums; and offer advance training to senior government officials and executives from the MENA region.
Focusing on e-Government in Oman Oman has decided to accord priority to e-Government implementation. Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki,
Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman
Oman’s Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, said that eGovernment is emerging as a common public administration tool worldwide, and that Oman is also committed to implement the eGovernment strategy that it had started implementing three years ago. Currently, Oman is in the process of building necessary infrastructure for providing eGovernment services. There are plans to launch a convergent network soon with the help of the national telecom company Omantel. The e-Government strategy in Oman includes a series of programmes such as online statistics, e-Tendering, one-stop-shop for registration of companies at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, electronic fund transfer, smart identity cards, geographical information systems, education, etc.
ePay System adopted by Dubai Land Department To enable the users of http://www. dubailand. gov.ae to make online payments, the Dubai Land Department has adopted Dubai eGovernment’s ePay System. Using the ePay System, Dubai landowners would now be able 19