Page 51 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

5.5 Million Visitors Reach UAE Government Portal

The number of users of the official portal of the UAE government has witnessed much effort to enrich its contents, in light of the
reached more than 5.5 million during the first half of 2020, a emerging exceptional circumstances, as more than 40 new portal
50% increase over 2019. The portal has been visited nearly pages have been added to cover the initiatives and precautionary
8 million times, with more than 12.5 million page views. The measures enacted by the government to address this exceptional
portal provides information and services of interest to citizens, circumstance. This page has covered detailed information about
residents, visitors and investors, and serves as the first reference government efforts during the exceptional circumstance to ensure
for government information on the Internet. Portal visitors come safety of UAE citizens and residents and continuity of government
to check government developments, laws, policies, services and services, business, education, and other vital sectors. More than
trends. Mr. Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy Director General 500K users have visited this page since its launch in late March
of the Information and mGovernment Sector, and Chairman of 2020. A new page has also been added for digital government
the Online Service Index Team, said: "The portal is the forefront services available around the clock to facilitate conducting of
of government online presence, and is a common platform for remote transactions so as to ensure customer safety. More
government entities in general, and a manifestation of team than 750K users have visited this page. The official portal of the
spirit between the TRA and those entities. In the executive team, UAE Government was launched in 24 May 2011 by H. H. Sheikh
we have a sub-team on portal content and digital engagement, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
where the portal and its components are an important part of Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to act as a single window
digital government development standards, according to the for online information and services provided by federal and local
UN survey issued every two years in this regard." Contents of UAE entities to individuals, visitors and business owners.
government websites and services of federal and local entities
can be accessed through the portal. Everyone can participate
in developing the content of the portal based on the shared
responsibility for such content addressing various audiences.
The portal includes four sections: About the UAE, Information
& Services, E-Participation and Media. The first section covers
key information relevant to UAE's economy, political system,
government, plans, strategies, initiatives, long history and bright
future. The information and services section covers many topics
such as employment, investment, tourism, infrastructure and
visa systems, as well as a full list of all government services in
the country. The e-participation section includes channels of
communication with the UAE government, advisory platforms,
live chat, etc. The portal is the first of its kind in the world with
a single-letter domain name, the letter U, which has more than
one meaningful meaning. It can also stand for "you", and refer to
the first letter of words denoting union and uniqueness, which
are some qualities of the UAE. The UAE is the only country in the
world that has adopted the single-letter domain as the address
of its portal, taking advantage of UAE’s unique name in English,
making the portal domain appear as u.ae. Recently, the portal

Telia Pulls Out Of Afghanistan by Selling Roshan Stake

Sweden’s Telia has sold its 12.25% stake in Terms of the agreement were not revealed. markets in Eurasia: Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Afghanistan’s Roshan Telecom to the Aga With this long-anticipated divestment, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Nepal, Tajikistan
Khan Fund for Economic Development. Telia has fully withdrawn from the market, and Uzbekistan. Telia seems to have
The Swedish group revealed in 2016 that in line with its strategy to exit the Eurasia broadened the strategy’s remit over the
it was planning to sell up in Afghanistan, region while strengthening its focus years. In June, it reached an agreement
although evidently it had to wait to find on the Baltic and Nordic regions. Since to divest its indirect holding in Turkey’s
the right buyer. The Aga Khan Fund is a announcing this strategy in 2015, Telia Turkcell.
majority stakeholder in Roshan Telecom. has divested holdings in a total of seven

51 AUGUST 2020