Dubai Municipality re-launches web portal

Dubai Municipality on Monday re-launched its web portal with a new design, the fourth since 1998,
which was the first launch to create an e-audience for Dubai Municipality on the Internet. Now,
the change is based on the new trends in the field of technology, especially Internet-related and
consistent with the requirements of the public who deal with the Municipality on a daily basis.

Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality said Dubai Municipality has
worked to develop the site in terms of form, content and sections so as to ensure ease of use. It has
also taken care to provide more information and to add new channels to achieve the goal of customer
satisfaction and support their requirements.

He said it was in line with the call given by the UAE Vice President and Prime
Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
for e-transformation.

"It was a pioneering effort to transform all the services offered to the public
to electronic. By 2009, about 500 services were automated and the process of
development in the portal is still continuing as services never stop and come to an
end and the world of Internet is a vast sea without any limit or stop," said Lootah.

"We have realized that the future stages will demand an interactive portal and this
is why we launch a new portal for Dubai Municipality, which underwent a trial and
developmental period that lasted for more than a year. We had a qualified Advisory
Panel consisting, monitoring all stages of its construction and we have been satisfied
with the fact that we have completed the first phase and are ready for launch. It is
also capable for improvement and development, and we have set our eyes to do it
when required," he stated.

"With the launch of the new portal we have endeavoured to offer a new concept

of official websites by designing it with a different concept based on packages that
reflect the concept and elements of the Strategic Plan of Dubai Municipality, in
a smooth, explanatory and supportive form with elements of attraction such as
photos, carefully selected and suitable for the topics. We have used clear icons
competently designed to help identify each services of the portal to make it an
interactive and attractive web portal that displays the information that answers the
questions of the public," said Lootah.

He said all the criteria of the Government of Dubai in developing e-government

portals have been applied to support the "Zero Visit" initiative, and to integrate and
unify all the portals of the departments of the Municipality in the main portal.

Lootah said the Municipality has endeavoured to develop its portal and complete
new projects adding value to the e-government project that achieves a remarkable
success.

"The new site includes a number of new channels periodically updated, new
areas to surf, and new columns and updated information about Dubai, in addition
to more information and links to many sites of local departments and private
establishments," he said.

Lootah said focus has been made on building the site in line with the main elements
of the Strategic Plan of the Municipality.

He stated that the new site takes care, in particular, suggestions and views of the public where
priority is given for "Feedback" system in the Municipality on top of the site, in addition to the
categories such as "Municipality Services," which includes a directory of services provided by the
Municipality and "sectors", which includes the sectors of the Municipality and organizational units
that fall under each sector, and an overview of each organizational unit.

New features in the site include "Coast and Green Areas", with horticultural and
nursery services, permits / NOCs, building services, public parks, fines / fees,
and "public health and safety," that includes food control permits / NOC.

The first online portal for Dubai Municipality was launched 13 years ago and e-
transactions completed through the portal in 2010 reached 40,5000 transactions.
Until now 97% of services have become e-services. The Municipality portal
received many laurels including Distinguished E-Government Service Award by
Dubai Government Excellence Programme (2003), Middle East Award for best e-
government portal (2005), Pan Arab Award for best Arab Government Portal (2005)
and best Arab e-government website award in the Emirates (2009).