A new smart centre in Dubai will combine artificial intelligence with the human touch to deliver personalised services of 14 government departments under one roof. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the 'Service 1' centre at Emirates Tower, Dubai, on Saturday.

The centre features artificial intelligence technology IBM Watson, robots, and one employee to represent 14 government bodies. Watson will explain the services to customers and will answer their queries in English and Arabic through the Middle East's largest smart touch screen. Customers can utilise the robots to record their suggestions (audio and video) to improve services or just give their feedback.

The centre will also provide customers smart access to more than 100 government services offered by eight public entities: The Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, Emirates Post Group, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

The centre will streamline access to vital government services and reduce the number of visits needed to access them to one.

"The centre will be a laboratory to test all the suggestions of the public and will include a platform to bring together the public with the government to discuss ideas on a daily basis. The centre is just the first of many centres and innovations to come. We will not stop because our goal is to be the first in the world when it comes to government services by 2020," Sheikh Mohammed said.

The centre enables customers to experience integrated and efficient services in just one visit and offers a number of services of the 14 federal and local government agencies in the form of packages.

The centre started its first phase with three joint service packages: mabrouk ma yak (bundle of services for newborns), mabrook ma dabrat (to serve new marriages and enable couples to complete their marriage contracts in one visit), and employment service.

Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need to consolidate this model as a unique identity for the UAE government. It supports the UAE's vision as a leading country in developing government work, transferring it to new levels of efficiency, and continuing work to enhance the level of government services.

"We want customers to experience a different environment at service centres - a comfortable and flexible one - (by) employing advanced technologies and turning them into easy-to-use tools, enabling the customer to get the services in just one visit," said Sheikh Mohammed.

Three smart packages of services

> Mabrook ma yak: Arabic for 'congratulations on your newborn', this package prepares all the official documents for newborns in one go. These include the baby's birth certificate, passport, registration certificate and ID card. Pilot testing for the service is currently underway at three hospitals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

> Mabrook ma dabrat: Arabic for 'congratulations on your marriage', this package prepares all the official documents for newlyweds in one visit to the Service 1 centre. The couple can wrap up the marriage procedures in one visit by using smart technology as the applicant is connected directly to a judge of the Dubai Courts.

> Employment service: It offers a package of four services for private companies that employ less than 50 employees. It allows such companies to process the employment transactions in one visit by submitting the documents and paying the fees in just one visit.

Source: Khaleej Times