Unlocking Digital Participation in the UAE

As part of its mandate to lead the digital presence of the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Telecommunications & Digital Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has issued this document to offer the federal government entities in the country a comprehensive reference to the topic of Digital Participation.
Public participation is the process by which an organization consults with interested or affected individuals, organizations, and government entities before making a decision. Public participation is two-way communication and collaborative problem solving with the goal of achieving better and more acceptable decisions¹. Governments can utilize both digital and non-digital means to engage the public and obtain their opinions. The use of digital means and technology enablers in Public Participation is often referred to as Digital Participation. It is important that FGE adopt Public Participation generally and Digital Participation practices specifically in order to increase transparency and trust between the public and the government. This is in line with the government’s aspirations to position the UAE government in the top ranks of global indices, and the pillars of “We the UAE 2031”, which focus on:

• Forward Society - achieving the prosperity of society by enhancing the capabilities of the citizens to maximize their effective contribution in all sectors
• Forward Economy - reflecting the UAE's belief in the importance of human capital as the main driver of the next 10-year development plan
• Forward Diplomacy - consolidating the pivotal role and influence of the UAE based on respect for human values
• Forward Ecosystem - enhancing the government performance and the UAE’s infrastructure and its development according to the latest technological methods, including the development of digital infrastructure.

Therefore, the following document was developed according to the strategies and visions of the UAE, in order support federal government entities in adopting Digital Participation at the highest quality and most efficiently.

¹ Source: UN