The Ministry of Finance held its third Customer Council in Dubai as part of the second phase of the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, bringing officials and partners together to review progress on reducing administrative procedures across government services.
Council objectives
The session aimed to test solutions created through earlier councils and assess how they perform in real situations. Officials said the work supports the national goal of developing faster and more efficient services.
The event was attended by Younis Haji AlKhoori, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Fatima Yousef Al Naqbi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector, along with representatives from government and private entities.
Key outcomes
Discussions covered improvements achieved so far, including enhanced financial management frameworks, upgraded digital systems and broader automation across several processes. Other developments included easier access to approvals, better service quality and greater use of artificial intelligence in data analysis.
Officials said these steps have supported better revenue and asset management, strengthened the procurement cycle and helped shift transactions to more flexible models.
Testing solutions
Younis Haji AlKhoori said: “The 3rd Customer Council represents a new milestone in the transformation journey led by the Ministry of Finance within the ‘Zero Government Bureaucracy’ Programme.
We have now moved from the stage of co-design to the stage of testing and applying solutions on the ground, in line with the vision of our wise leadership to build a more efficient, faster, and proactive government.”
He added: “The experience of the programme’s second phase has proven that involving customers in the development of government services is a fundamental pillar in enhancing performance efficiency and achieving tangible results. Previous councils were not merely discussion platforms but genuine laboratories that turned ideas and proposals into practical measures that have reduced procedures, accelerated transactions, and improved the quality of government services.”
AlKhoori said: “The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with its partners, will continue to translate the UAE’s vision of achieving a bureaucracy-free government by simplifying procedures, utilising advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, and adopting innovative work models that place people at the centre of development. Our end goal is to build an integrated governmental experience that paves the way for a future ready government operating according to world-class standards of excellence.”
Practical applications
Fatima Yousef Al Naqbi said: “The 3rd Customer Council builds upon a series of councils launched by the Ministry as part of the second phase of the programme. Its theme, ‘From Idea to Implementation’, reflects a new level of maturity in collaborative government work.”
She said: “The current edition of the council focuses on testing the innovative solutions developed in partnership with customers during previous sessions, with the goal of transforming ideas into practical applications that ensure real and sustainable impact on the customer experience. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate these solutions in the field and measure their effectiveness in accelerating processes and improving service quality.”
Al Naqbi added: “Through these councils, the Ministry seeks to strengthen the culture of institutional participation and integration between work teams and customers, and to establish partnership as a sustainable approach in developing government services, reflecting the leadership’s vision for the UAE Government to be the fastest, simplest, and most efficient in the world.”
Customer experience focus
The agenda included a presentation on achievements in simplifying procedures, along with interactive sessions showing practical examples of zero bureaucracy applications. Participants also tested proposed solutions through a simulation exercise.
The meeting ended with recommendations from group representatives, highlighting the Ministry’s plan to continue turning proposed ideas into development projects that support better services.
The Zero Bureaucracy Programme, launched in 2023, aims to eliminate unnecessary digital procedures, promote the use of artificial intelligence and support the goals of the We the UAE 2031 vision.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
