Kazi Najib Ashraf: blockchain in the UAE

In early 2018, The UAE Government embarked upon launching the Emirates Blockchain Strategy & Vision 2021. The strategy aims to conduct more than half of all government transactions using the blockchain platform by then. This will help save time, effort and resources, as well as facilitate people to process their transactions in a way that suits their lifestyle and work. By adopting this technology, the government expects to save processed routinely 398 million printed documents annually  77 million work hours annually  The UAE will use blockchain for digital transactions, giving each customer a unique identification number that points to their information on the secure chain. Information and data on the blockchain cannot be hacked or changed, which will ensure the digital security of national documents and transactions and eventually reduce operational costs and accelerate decision-making.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the strategy, further showing the rulers’ absolute commitment of the dynamic emirate to embrace new technologies. This is in addition to the adaptation of Artificial Intelligence at the onset of the tech boom.

In October 2017, the UAE Government launched ‘UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI)’, marking the post-mobile government phase that will rely on various future services, sectors and infrastructure projects. The strategy is first of its kind in the region and the world and it aims to achieve the objectives of UAE Centennial 2071 boost government performance at all levels use an integrated smart digital system that can overcome challenges and provide quick efficient solutions make the UAE the first in the field of AI investments in various sectors create new vital market with high economic value.

Coming back to blockchain, the commitment of the government to embrace secure tech was outlined in an official statement: