Page 115 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

United Arab Emirates

The National Telecom Equipment Lab at the Telecommunica- as the Online Services Index (OSI), Ease of Doing Business Index,
tions and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) hosted the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, the Global
a delegation from the University of Dubai. During the visit, they Competitiveness Index, and innovation indices. "The issuance of
discussed the stages of telecom devices testing, and ways of the Electronic Transactions and Trust Services Law comes into
cooperation between TDRA and the University of Dubai. The vis- effect at an important stage in the history of our country, as we
iting delegation learned about the lab, which is run by special- celebrate the golden jubilee of the UAE. In this stage, we start
ized national cadres, and reviewed the tasks entrusted to it. The a new chapter towards the UAE Centennial 2071 by enhancing
delegation was briefed on international standards adopted by the digital transformation that impacts the economy, society, and
National Laboratory for device testing, using the latest testing the whole life in the UAE," said Talal Humaid Belhoul, Chairman
systems approved by international organizations specialized in of TDRA’s Board of Directors. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director-
this field. The National Laboratory is considered a technology ref- General of the TDRA, commented, "The issuance of the decree-law
erence by UAE entities and institutions, as it examines telecom on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services marks a start of a
devices, supports national projects, qualifies and enables Emirati new stage in the process of comprehensive digital transformation
cadres. The Lab team briefed the visiting delegation on the lat- in the UAE. This law deals with many details of the daily life of the
est devices and technologies tested in the Lab, such as mobile various segments of society, including individuals and companies.
phones, radio devices, Wi-Fi devices, early warning devices, and It will have a positive impact on the higher goals of the country,
Bluetooth devices. Commenting on this visit, Eng. Saif Bin Ghe- in terms of promoting the digital economy and consolidating the
laita, Director of Technology Development Affairs at TDRA, said: global reputation of the UAE as an investment hub." The new law
“The National Telecom Equipment Lab is the first-of-its-kind in improves the procedures of licensing processes based on new
the Arab region, and aims to ensure that the telecommunica- services that support digital transactions. It allows many civil
tion devices used in the UAE comply with the approved technical and commercial transactions, such as marriage, personal status,
specifications as well as with safety and security standards, and and notary public, along with real estate transactions, such as
that they do not cause any harm to individuals, networks, or the renting, buying, selling, and contract modifications. It will increase
technological infrastructure that unapproved devices may inflict. the effectiveness of judicial procedures and the settlement of
The National Laboratory has raised the level of conformity of tele- civil and commercial disputes. The digital signature assists in
com devices, due to its role in monitoring the markets and import- issuance of permissions, licenses, or approvals, in the form of
ed telecom equipment to the UAE.” Ghelaita added: “Today’s visit electronic records, and acceptance of fees or any other payments
of University of Dubai to the National Laboratory embodies the in electronic form. It will also enable the electronic placement of
spirit of cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and expe- bids and receiving tenders related to government procurements.
riences between the various UAE institutions, and their quest to (November 28, 2021) wam.ae/en
introduce the new generation to the importance of ICT in achiev-
ing digital transformation and enhancing digital services, as well The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory
as the importance of technical standards of electronic devices Authority (TDRA) announced an increase of the UAE national
and their impact on services and achieving sustainable develop- portal users by 50% in the 3rd quarter of 2021 as compared to
ment goals.” They also received detailed explanations from the the same period of 2020. Portal users amounted to 5.2 million.
Lab staff about the challenges they face such as the technology They paid 7.7 million visits to the portal and viewed portal pages
rapid development, which requires continuous building, qualify- 11.3 million times. TDRA stated that this increase in portal users
ing and development of specialized cadres in this field. The team reflects the user trust in the portal as the main reference of
presented the key achievements of the Lab, including obtaining information related to the UAE. The increase further reflects the
international recognition through ISO 17025, testing more than significant efforts exerted by the portal team to develop content
1,000 devices since the project’s launch, building and qualifying and services. TDRA referred that the most visited pages are those
national cadres specialized in the field of testing, in addition to related to visas, handling the COVID-19 crisis, travelling to the
contributing to many national projects such as the National Early UAE, Emirates ID, COVID-19 vaccinations, and tests. Regarding
Warning System, Emergency Call System (eCall) in vehicles, caller this increase, H.E. Ahlam Al Feel, Director of TDRA’s Corporate
name detector project “Kashef”. (December 15, 2021) satelliteprome.com Communication Department, said: “The UAE’s national portal
(u.ae) is the main source of trusted information related to all
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory aspects of life in the UAE. It gives users access to government
Authority (TDRA) has confirmed that the Electronic Transactions policies, projects, services, and tourist and legal information. We
and Trust Services Law, promulgated by Federal Decree-Law develop and improve the content of the portal continuously to
No. 46 of 2021, creates a new stage of comprehensive digital keep up with users’ needs, UAE’s orientations, and leadership’s
transformation in the UAE. The new law improves the digital directives, and reach all categories of customers and increase
economy and consolidates the UAE’s position, to become one their happiness. To achieve this goal, we apply the latest
of the leading countries in providing digital services. It will systems and AI technologies that provide the user with complete
accelerate the achievement of national goals and indicators, such information easily.” (November 2, 2021) tdra.gov.ae

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