The Newly implemented Paperless Strategy by the Government is in line with the His Highness Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Dubai, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council’s vision of making Dubai the happiest place on earth by 2021.
DubaiNow is a Smart Dubai initiative to facilitate Dubai’s transition to a digital city. The app which launched in 2018, aims to digitise all external and internal government to customer transactions by December 2021.
Dr. Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr, Director-general of Smart Dubai, said, “We will continue to work with all Dubai government entities to accelerate our transition to fully paperless transactions.”
From 2022, Dubai government entities will no longer issue or request paper documents from consumers for any transaction. Dubai government employees will also stop issuing or processing paper in key or supporting internal operations.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, said: “I have overseen the progress of the Dubai Paperless Strategy over the past two years, and have now directed all government entities to work with Smart Dubai and ensure all digital government to consumer services are delivered via DubaiNow, gradually eliminating all individual entity applications.”
The implementation of the strategy is expected to eliminate the use of over 1 billion pieces of paper per year, saving 130,000 trees.
A total of 88 Dubai government services are now being provided through the digital application, with transactions worth over AED 4 billion completed so far.
I have directed all government entities to provide their consumer services through the ‘DubaiNow’ app, which provides 88 government services and has already facilitated transactions worth AED4 billion. Our aim: the Dubai government to become 100% paperless by December 12, 2021.
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) October 21, 2019
DubaiNow is a one-stop platform where the consumer can access 50 smart services from 88 government entities, it helps users to navigate a broad range of everyday services in one go. In 2019, it won the ‘Best Government Mobile App of the Year’ award.
Dubai Now features a total of eleven categories, and they are Utilities & Bills, Public Transport, Security & Justice, Health, Driving, Residency Visas, Islam, Education, Business & Employment, Housing, General.
Following are the subcategories each category offers:
- Driving: MyCar, mParking, Traffic Fines, Accident Notifications, Salik, Fuel Locator, Journey Panner, Street Speed Limits, and Tasjeel Centres
- Bill Payments: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bill, Nol card, Salik, Traffic fines, Etisalat, Du, Dubai municipality, Dubai Custom, Enoc, Federal Electricity, and Water Authority, Empower.
- Public transport: With DubaiNow, you easily choose public transport and map out your route, top up your Nol card.
There is even a journey planner which lets you find the best way to reach from one point to the other using Dubai’s public transport.
Call a Taxi - Residency visas: Check your visa status, manage your residency or get a new residence visa with DubaiNow.
- Health: Vaccination plan, Find your nearest Doctor and Clinic
- Safety and law: Provides the emergency numbers ambulance service, the fire department, Dubai police or Dewa, but also lists the police stations near you
- Business and Employment: This section allows business owners and traders to use the following services.
Trade activity search, Trade licenses, Reserve a trade name, Business directory, Ejari - Education: This category offers services like Sign your Parent-School Contract, Academic history. It can also match you to your best fit in Schools, Universities, Institutes.
- Home services: Home maintenance services, Property listings, Rental agreement, Home subscriptions, Real estate brokers, Property projects, Service Fees index, Rent a Home, My Properties, Loan calculator, Request maintenance, Property transactions, Dewa consumption, Ejari, Utility Services. Information on Application status for your application with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Est. can also be accessed.
- Other:
Islamic: Find out the prayer times for each day along with the closest mosque to you.
Social service support through the Community Development Authority,
Dubai Calendar – A list of the events planned in the city
ATMs – find the nearest one to you
Weather updates
Empost rate calculator
Flight information: All the information you need on flights to and from the Dubai International Airport.
Donations: You can donate to various Dubai Government initiatives like Dubai Cares, Al Jalila Foundation, Noor Dubai, Dar Al Ber Society, Suqia, the Year of Tolerance or to Awqaf Dubai.
