Month: January 2013

As indicated by the survey conducted by the Emirates Identity Authority in co-operation with “Ipsos Emirates” and built on themes that match and are consistent with the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program, customer satisfaction with the Emirates ID jumped  6 per cent to 88 per cent in 2012, up from 82 per cent in the previous year.

The survey is an annual event that the Emirates ID is keen to conduct with the aim of identifying the challenges facing customers while registering in the population register and the ID card project, which, as is already known,  passes through three phases: filling out the e-form, completing registration procedures at registration centers and collecting the ID card from the Emirates Post centers.

Because the objective of the Emirates ID is to provide the best services, earn the highest customer satisfaction scores and achieve corporate excellence, all of which are revealed only through opinion polls and are also regarded as some of the Emirates ID’s major challenges, the Emirates ID focused on this element, which was paid due attention in its strategic plan 2010-2013 together with the other themes, projects and values covered by the plan. As a result of its focus, the Emirates ID gained local and global excellence awards including the Emirates Award for Government Excellence Performance.

I do not want to go back to the many challenges that the Emirates ID faced and was able to overcome and surpass by means of perseverance, determination and strong will since its inception in 2004. Achievements speak for themselves, are indicated in the Emirates ID’s mission and are related to the national and individual security and to the provision of such population data that support strategic decision-making and e-government projects.

Yet, while witnessing the great advancement and progress strides made by the Emirates ID as a result of which the Emirates ID earned high customer satisfaction scores, we must stop by the ID card project,  which is one of the largest technologically advanced projects, not only at the UAE level but at the level of the region as well, that has been highly developed by the Emirates ID. Although the Emirates ID has entered a post-registration phase and a new phase in its national process of development, this project still poses a challenge so far, especially if we realize that certain segments of the community still lack the concept, culture and value of the ID card. It is a challenge that we hope the Emirates ID to overcome while entering a new phase of development and progress.

 

The United Arab Emirates is known for the speed of accomplishing transactions in the majority of governmental facilities, departments and institutions, as they all follow one approach in dealing with the customers, with the exception of minor cases that confirm the rule and do not break it, which are cases limited to irregular locations and circumstances, and certain times.

Facilitating procedures is part of the civilized interaction with customers, respecting them, their times and the interests they seek to a complete in the fastest time and the best performance.

The value of respect is the foundation on which service, interaction and relationship can be built, and it exists in essence and appearance.

The essence says that transactions are completed with extreme speed, as the guides and directions for the officials in different institutions, are to follow the transactions so that each transaction does not exceed 10 minutes at most, which what happens in man of the institutions, while exceptional cases remain controversial, for they can turn into a habit –if not dealt with- and infection transferable to others.

As for the appearance, it is what we notice often at the reception, of greetings and sometimes symbolic hospitality in the form of Dates or sweets that makes the customer feel as if he/she is visiting a friend and not a surly employee that would irritate the customer before reaching him.

This kind of welcoming and respect is the one of the civilized faces of the United Arab Emirates that implant this attractive civilized value in its employees, and that remains in the sentiment of each resident and visitor, even in the sentiment of the citizens themselves who serve their guests of customers and stakeholders, with generosity and leniency, in the way they fulfill their needs at expected speed.

Many of the visitors to the United Arab Emirates are astonished by the respectful, generous and civilized treatment they receive from the welcoming Passports and customs employees at the airports and other entry points, unlike other countries where people are faced with hardship and difficulties by the employees of passports and customs, which distinguishes UAE from other countries where employees follow a rough and jagged way of dealing with visitors, as if they look down at them.

If this generosity and respect is the rule, it would be recommended to deal with any defect or expectations of this rule found at some institutions where you would find queue numbers still, while customers are looking and waiting for these boring numbers to move, and hours would pass without any movement. Would that be due to lack of employees? Although this institution or institutions are capable of recruiting sufficient number of employees to handle all customers transactions in no time.

On the other hand, there are institutions and authorities working effortlessly in order for the transaction to be completed in a short time, and even asks customers to receive the services, like Emirates Identity Authority, who’s higher committee called for the managers and supervisors of the authority’s registration centers across the country to guarantee providing the customers the highest levels of services. Which shows the difference between one institution and another.

 

When I started my first steps working for Emirates Identity Authority, I faced questions about the meaning of the Emirates ID, its aim and role, but soon, these questions faded when I saw the idea of belonging to the nation is reality lived by the authority through its leadership and all of its employees, without fanfare or outbidding, where work attribute was dominant, followed by induced quest for development in a frame of love, devotion and loyalty to the nation and its wise leadership, until Emirates ID became a unique model in the love and affiliation of the nation.

And in the great memory of the glorified union, questions about the meaning, limitation and effects of affiliation pressured my thinking.

These questions do not haunt me anymore, especially with the incarnation of the glory of the union with all meanings of affiliation, in the work of great leaders who gave their love and effort to raise the states of the nation which, thanks to their affiliation to their humanity first, and their land and people second, became a heaven sought by everyone and envied by all. So what did affiliation meant for the leaders of the nation?

Late Sheikh Zayed affiliation to himself as a human immortalized him by history in the brightest pages, and he worked hard so that his life wouldn’t past without showing the entire world what a true human is, and he worked with confident determination towards unifying the Emirates, awakening the determination of his people and inspired their mettles until the barren land turned into a green fruitful heaven, and he spread the wealth to his people, loved the nation and its children, being gentle to the young and respectful to the old. His affiliation to the humanity extended to its widest doors, that he became the best aid to the all peoples, and the helping hand to overcome troubles. He taught us that humanitarian given has no limits or boundaries.

Sheikh Khalifa, the symbol of ongoing giving, every time and everywhere, followed his method, as his white hands reached the bereaved and supported the oppressed, without bias towards a race, a color or a religion, as witnessed by Yemen, Sudan, Filipinas, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Gaza and Jenin.

Whoever wants to understand the meaning of affiliation, needs to study the biography of Sheikh Zayed, and whoever wants to understand the meaning of following an example, should follow Sheikh Khalifa’s path, and whoever wondered about the effect of the affiliation, should look at the United Arab Emirates, the land that transferred with the grace of Allah and the affiliation and unity of its children and to a heaven on earth.

 

It is about thinking about Abu Dhabi for the coming five years as well as for 2020 and 2030. It is about thinking for this generation and for the future generations. Here comes the planning project, which is the title of all projects and the one that leads to them. The preludes are very genuine and the results are firm.

It is in this way that the sublime directives that reflect the approach of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may Allah protect him, turn into giant projects on the ground. Yesterday, the decisions of the Executive Council under the chairmanship of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council, underscored the need for careful planning prior to and concurrently with implementation.

According to the decisions, the image of the coming five years is quite clear, and the objective, as stressed by Mohammed Bin Zayed, is man. The citizen is the goal, the basis and the big title. The citizen is the focus of the development process. This is Abu Dhabi and the UAE usually, and in this way our country provides the optimal model at the level of the region and the territory.

Thank Allah for the blessings of prosperity, security and stability. On the other side, citizens are required to make a maximum effort at work, beginning with self-development so as to be geared up for the new phases of the renewed national action.

Citizen-oriented development is the title and the details include hundreds of billions of dirhams for capital projects and housing projects. Marking the year of Emiratization, the Executive Council has the good news of providing five thousand job opportunities for citizens.

It is about the integration of development projects within a firm awareness of what is most important comes first and within a deep understanding of priorities. What is most necessary comes first, followed by the necessary, and the march towards achieving the citizen’s welfare and the progress of the nation.

The UAE people have the right to rejoice and be happy and even be proud of their 41^st National Day, but it is their duty to know and understand the efforts made by the prudent leadership, especially the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the owner of the idea of the union, who charted the way and policy that took the UAE to such a level that allowed every UAE citizen to be proud of it, saying “I am Emarati.”

The prudent leadership knew how to employ these resources for the happiness of its people and glory, progress and welfare of the UAE. This yielded fruits to all UAE citizens which were shared by other millions of people living in the UAE.

With the wise leadership adopting peace as its approach and justice as its goal, the UAE has become the oasis of security and safety.

A leadership with a vision that adopted logic and science and was not satisfied with only money and oil. As a result, it set progress as its goal and used it to overcome the impossible and plant the desert and the sea but did not forget culture and arts.

A tolerant leadership, which never assaulted others and was marked with genuine humanitarian morals, was a fine example of co-existence by opening its heart for all races. More than 206 nationalities are living in its land who speak more than 100 languages and belonged to many ethnic groups and religions.

A generous leadership that provided support at all Arab, foreign, African and Asian levels including cities, hospitals, bridges and playgrounds, indicating the best the UAE can do.

Go deeperا in reading history and look around you; examples are many. A lot of countries were granted more than the UAE was blessed but lacked the prudent leadership. Consequently, they remained unchanged while others lost their position and suffered from scarcity of security and safety.

See how the UAE was 41 years ago and what it has become today and remember what the UAE builder the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Land obeys the men who have hope and are able to challenge the future.”

So, protect and adhere to your union and let your motto be what Sheikh Zayed said: “The union lives in my mind and my heart and is the dearest thing in my life. I cannot imagine that one day I would allow any alienation or complacency about its future.”

May Allah save the UAE and its people and all Muslim countries

In this sense, the question of achievement is directly related to time, and in every year there are efforts exerted, new ideas created and budgets devoted to the completion of projects. Strategies in our country are linked to its promises and completion dates, and the entire community is invited to follow up. What is the completion percentage of this or that project? The press and mass media might exert the follow-up efforts consistently and persistently: for example, it is said 50 percent of this facility or that highway was completed. Some projects may be delayed, prompting the press to ask questions which the person in charge may or may not answer.

The endings and beginnings of years are absolutely suitable for an inventory at both the individual and corporate levels. Organizations, usually, seek this process at the level of budgets, spending and income, but only a few of them questions responsibility by putting it at stake and in the frontline.

This mode of thinking is adopted by the UAE government, a dynamic government par excellence, which calls for taking initiatives and rejecting bureaucracy and routine truly and honestly. This, however, is required to reflect equally on the performance of organizations and departments even in the minutest details. Moving forward is important, but such importance will diminish if man did not look back a little for revision, calculation and recalculation.

The year 2013 is wanted to be a year of continuous development, progress and prosperity. When His Highness the UAE President gave his directives for the year to be devoted for Emiratisation, coupled with a package of initiatives, the first of which is Absher, these sublime directive noted strongly the importance of paying due attention to human resources, where citizens are the top priority and prime concern.

Welcome to 2013 and to work, production and proficiency.

 

01/04/2013

Cyber fraud constitutes one aspect of modern crimes that have spread recently in the UAE, threatening many individuals of the society, particularly after the increasing use of modern technology in such areas as communications, management, banking and finance, these being data that constitute a fertile environment for the activities of cyber gangs. The latest of these crimes has recently been revealed by the Electronic Investigation Division, General Department of Criminal Investigation, Dubai Police. The division arrested an Internet fraud gang of African and Asian nationalities specializing in hacking into and planting software to access the information related to companies and looting their money inside and outside the UAE. The division seized commercial papers and forged cheques valued at AED 6 billion in their possession.

This is not the first time that cyber frauds of this magnitude are discovered and those involved are arrested. Earlier, Abu Dhabi Police, in collaboration with the UAE Central Bank, foiled in 2010 many cyber frauds targeting the Central Bank for withdrawal of billions of dirhams by falsifying some papers and documents. Add to this the cyber frauds that targeted the PIN of customers’ accounts and data of credit cards for criminal purposes, causing the UAE to lose huge amounts of money annually. According to Norton’s report on Internet security which was published in 2011, cyber crimes cost the UAE’s economy around AED2.25 billion a year. The report showed that at least two UAE residents fall victim of cyber crimes per minute by effect of viruses, scam messages and phishing etc.

The UAE remains among the most countries targeted by electronic scams in the region, particularly that it occupies the forefront in terms of the widespread use of the Internet, employment of digital technology and level of e-readiness as part of its orientation towards a knowledge-based economy and its keenness on activating the digital culture and publicizing electronic transactions in the various ministries and organizations with the aim of keeping pace with what is happening in the developed world. By virtue of the prominent economic position it occupies nowadays and the climate of economic openness it offers, the UAE is more vulnerable than other countries of the region to this type of cyber crimes and this necessitates official and non-official entities to double efforts to confront various manifestations of cyber frauds.

Despite the diversity of cyber frauds targeting individuals and financial and banking institutions, the UAE has been able to deal most effectively with this type of crimes, thanks to its integrated strategy, which depends on adopting the latest technologies for electronic applications, employing the latest mechanisms and solutions for network security in its integrated bases and trying to improve the ability of the individuals of the society to use electronic services via the “Digital Citizen” program, which is aimed at eradicating IT illiteracy for all segments of the society. This comes in parallel with the effective efforts exerted by the UAE security and police authorities, which are keen on improving their performance with the aim of coping with the world’s various technical and electronic developments in the field of fighting cyber crimes, adopting the electronic forensic science and building security expertise to face all forms of cyber crimes and keep track and spot perpetrators most urgently.