His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE is building a world-leading model for government services.

This model prioritises efficiency, quality, and impact, aiming to simplify and enhance the lives of its citizens. By integrating best practices, leveraging expertise and technology, the UAE government strives to deliver streamlined services that meet the needs of its people with minimal effort and maximum impact.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Today we launch the second phase of the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, a national project designed to create simpler, faster, and more impactful government services. In its first phase, the programme reduced service delivery time by over 70%, eliminated more than 4,000 unnecessary procedures, and saved customers over 12 million hours.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed added: “We are grateful to the over 30 government entities and 690 teams involved in streamlining government procedures. Today we expand these efforts, focusing on eliminating digital bureaucracy to realize our goal: a government without complexity, services without waiting times, and results that tangibly improve people's lives.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed announced the launch of the second phase of the Zero Bureaucracy programme, at an event that detailed the next phase of the programme and its objectives. The launch event, held in Dubai, was attended by over 200 ministers, deputy ministers, and directors general of federal entities.

The programme serves as a comprehensive national framework for Zero Bureaucracy projects and initiatives, uniting the efforts of all ministries and government entities. Its strategic objective is to establish the UAE government as the global leader in service delivery, ultimately achieving zero bureaucracy.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, stated that the achievements of the Zero Bureaucracy Programme’s first phase align with the UAE leadership's vision to prioritize citizen services and continuously improve and simplify processes.

In his opening remarks at the launch of the second phase, Al Gergawi highlighted the collaborative efforts of “30 government entities and 690 teams, which successfully eliminated over 4,000 unnecessary procedures, reduced service delivery time by over 70%, and removed 1,600 redundant requirements. The UAE Government has recognized and celebrated the top three performing government entities in implementing Zero Bureaucracy.”

Al Gergawi said: “The results of the previous phase represent a new, more effective model for government operations, by leveraging internal teams to re-engineer processes and enhance service efficiency. More importantly, this translated to over 12 million hours and AED 1.12 billion saved annually for the public, customers, businesses, and investors.”

Al Gergawei stated that the next phase will focus on further reducing unnecessary procedures, streamlining digital applications by achieving zero digital bureaucracy, and ensuring a 24-hour uptime for digital systems, strengthening digital integration between government entities, and enhancing the overall digital customer experience.

In its first phase, the Zero Bureaucracy programme achieved significant results, establishing a new model for government operations. Over 690 teams from 30 government entities eliminated over 4,000 unnecessary procedures, reducing service times by over 70%. This streamlined 200 million annual transactions, saving customers and businesses 12 million hours and AED 1.12 billion annually. Top-performing teams received awards valued at AED 7 million in recognition of their contributions.

The second phase of the programme will expand its scope to fully eliminate digital bureaucracy, streamlining online processes and applications. This involves modernizing all government digital systems and effectively integrating AI.

The programme will also continue to eliminate unnecessary government procedures and services, remove redundancies between entities, and abolish all non-essential burdens and requirements.

During the launch event for the Zero Bureaucracy Programme’s second phase, His Excellency Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice, highlighted the Ministry's achievements and journey in eliminating bureaucracy. He showcased several initiatives that contributed to the Ministry winning first place as the Zero Bureaucracy Awards’ Best Government Team.

Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services in the UAE Government, outlined the second phase of the programme, which aims to further eliminate unnecessary procedures and requirements, eradicate digital bureaucracy, and remove redundant or unnecessary requirements. He explained that the next phase will focus on enhancing government integration, data sharing, developing innovative joint solutions, and adopting leading business practices.

The government workshop concluded with an interactive dialogue session titled " Zero Bureaucracy and the Private Sector." Participants included Marwan Ibrahim Haji Nasser, Chairman and CEO of Tadawi Healthcare Group, and Fouad Mansoor Sharaf, Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director of the UAE Shopping Malls at MAF Properties. The session explored the speakers' insights and perspectives on how eliminating bureaucracy impacts the private sector's efficiency, performance quality, and service excellence.

Launched in November 2023, the UAE Zero Government Bureaucracy programme simplifies and streamlines procedures, eliminating unnecessary requirements. The first phase targeted a reduction of 2,000 government procedures and a 50% decrease in processing times, reflecting the leadership's commitment to creating a leading future-forward experience that enhances lives, fosters a pro-business environment, and attracts talent.