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Sharjah 24
6 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Fujairah CP witnesses launch first digital gov service centre
The centre, inaugurated by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, represents a pioneering model at the national level for delivering smart, interconnected government services that rely entirely on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, metaverse, and blockchain technologies, without direct human intervention . Sheikh Mohammed Al Sharqi said, 'Today, we take pride in launching the virtual digital services centre in Fujairah, which embodies the vision of our wise leadership toward building a future-ready government founded on innovation. This centre contributes to enhancing quality of life and facilitating services for citizens and residents alike. It stands as an advanced model of smart government services and reflects the ability of our national institutions to adopt and effectively leverage cutting-edge technologies—affirming the UAE's pioneering position in the field of digital government transformation .' the Crown Prince of Fujairah added, 'We applaud the efforts of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in developing an integrated digital service infrastructure that enhances government efficiency, improves the customer experience, and supports sustainable development in Fujairah, which continues to actively contribute to the nation's progress .' Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry, said, 'The centre represents a transformational shift in the delivery of government services, offering a groundbreaking experience built on artificial intelligence and hologram technology. This model is scalable across all emirates, enhancing the UAE's global competitiveness in the digital domain. Launching the centre in Fujairah reflects the leadership's vision of promoting balanced development and is a practical step within the Ministry's efforts to build a human-centred, interconnected government services ecosystem aligned with the goals of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision and the shift toward smart government .' He affirmed that the launch of the centre aligns with the National Strategy for Government Services, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This strategy aims to position the UAE as a global benchmark for the most efficient and innovative government services, translating the wise leadership's directives for the UAE to be number one globally in government service delivery . Eng Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services in the UAE Government, explained that the centre represents a pivotal step in the government's digital transformation journey and reflects government entities' ability to adopt the latest digital innovations to deliver an exceptional customer experience that aligns with the country's aspirations of delivering world-class services . He said, 'The centre serves as an advanced interactive platform for enabling customers to directly contribute to developing government services through innovative channels that allow them to submit their suggestions and feedback. This fosters integration among government entities, promotes a culture of community engagement, and establishes a flexible government environment capable of responding promptly to evolving needs .' The launch of the Digital Services Centre is part of the Ministry's broader plan to expand this innovative model across the UAE, in align with the UAE Government Services Strategy, and the Government Services Development Guide 2.0. The centre offers over 150 digital services, aiming to serve more than 20,000 users annually . Integrating smart systems that enhance operational efficiency and support data-driven decision-making, the centre provides a wide range of services from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in addition to a set of services from federal and local partner entities in the Emirate of Fujairah—offered through a unified and fully integrated digital experience. This contributes to simplifying procedures, saving time and effort, and improving quality of life, in line with the smart government approach that places people at the heart of its priorities . To mark the inauguration of the centre, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in collaboration with Emirates Post, has issued a commemorative stamp honouring Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah .
Gulf Today
7 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Britain launches digital eVisa for Pakistani students, workers
Britain has introduced an eVisa mechanism for Pakistani students and workers to make the visa process easier, the British High Commission in Islamabad said on Tuesday. In a statement, the commission said most main Pakistani applicants travelling to the UK on study or work-related visas will no longer need a physical sticker visa in passports from July 15. "The UK Government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status, an eVisa," it added. An eVisa is an online record of a person's immigration permission in the UK, and any conditions which apply, which can be viewed by creating and accessing an online UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. eVisas are part of an enhanced border and immigration system that will not only make the visa process easier, but is more secure, digital and streamlined, as per the statement. It further said that eVisas are tried and tested, with millions of people already using them on select immigration routes. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott said the changes to the UK visa system will make it much simpler for students and workers to prove their identity and visa status. "It also means applicants can hold onto their passports, saving them time." However, the embassy statement clarified that updating from a physical document to an eVisa does not affect anyone's immigration status or the conditions of their permission to enter or stay in the UK. E-visas are being rolled out for the main applicants for: • Students, including short term study for 11 months • Global Business Mobility routes (specifically, Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker) • Global Talent • International Sportsperson • Skilled Worker (including Health and Care) • Temporary Work routes (specifically, Charity Worker, Creative Worker, Government Authorized Exchange, International Agreement, and Religious work routes) • Youth Mobility Scheme The statement said applicants applying as a dependent, or as a main applicant for visas other than study or work, such as general visitor visas, will still need a physical sticker visa. Anyone with existing, in date, physical visa stickers do not need to take any action. This will eventually be rolled out to all visa routes meaning a more secure and streamlined process for all UK visa customers, read the statement.
The National
10 hours ago
- The National
My Dubai Salary: ‘I did not take a salary for seven and a half years as a tech start-up founder'
Sophie Smith recalls how she decided to never be financially dependent on anyone while growing up in the UK. However, as the founder and chief executive of Nabta Health, a UAE-based healthcare platform for women, she has not drawn a salary in all but several months over the past eight years. As her company is fully backed by angel investors, the Briton, 36, does not feel comfortable receiving monthly pay and instead takes an incentive every quarter. She's currently financially dependent on her husband since moving to Dubai in 2016. Before founding Nabta Health, Ms Smith owned four companies in three years – a doctor-finding, appointment-booking platform in Pakistan, a plastic recycling company in Sierra Leone, a health tech consultancy and a software development company, both in the UK. Nabta Health combines digital and traditional health care to offer preventive care to women. 'Our platform supports in diagnosing chronic health conditions and navigating specific stages as a woman, for example, support with fertility and family planning, after birth, and menopause,' she says. 'To date, my company has been entirely backed by angel investors. We have 68 angel investors in total, most of whom invested through special purpose vehicles, but with investments ranging from $1,000 up to $1 million.' The company has raised $4 million to date and opened a pre-series A funding round of $6 million to expand the platform and acquire new clinics in the UAE. Ms Smith lives with her four children and husband, a lawyer, in a villa in Al Barsha South. She has an MA Cantab (masters in history) from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology. What was your first job and salary? I started as an analyst with Accenture and worked there for four years before leaving to found my first company. I started on a salary of £32,000 ($43,348) per year and it came with a golden handshake of £5,000, which felt like an absolute fortune for a new graduate in 2010. I was promoted to consultant after 14 months and was on track to be promoted to manager when I quit. I left because I wanted to chart my own growth curve. I had put part of my salary into Accenture's stock programme and by the time I left, I had about £25,000 saved. I took that money and put it into my first company, a health tech consultancy. What is your salary now? When I started work on Nabta Health, I closed down the businesses I had in the UK and was dependent on my husband and the salary he was drawing from his new job in Dubai in 2017. Nabta was self-funded in very small parts by me and my founding investor, to the tune of $92,000 over 15 to 18 months. Since we have raised capital in non-traditional ways, we've never had a significant amount of runway, and I have never felt comfortable with the notion of taking a salary because the company needs the money. I didn't take a salary for the first seven-and-a-half years of Nabta's life until we'd achieved product-market fit in July 2024. I attached myself to the company as the general manager and started to take a salary of Dh33,300 ($9,067) per month after we closed our first $1 million investment, plus an additional Dh12,200 per month which accrues and is paid out quarterly only if we hit our revenue targets. I took the salary for two months before reverting to 100 per cent accrual to support our runway. Not taking a salary has placed a huge financial strain on our family. When we came to the UAE, we had no children and now we have four. Our costs as a family have increased 300 per cent. Do you manage to save and invest? I had savings before I started my first business. But since then, I've put every penny into my companies. I have a small cryptocurrency account, a couple of savings accounts and a few investments in different start-ups that are mostly through sweat equity. I'm a firm believer in having a diversified portfolio of investments and putting your capital to work, especially as a woman. If I had more liquidity, I'd have a more structured investment portfolio. I would also invest into stocks, bonds and safer and more traditional asset classes. I hope to be able to invest in real estate at some point. In the next couple of years as Nabta continues to grow and stabilise us financially, when I'll be able to start taking a regular salary, I hope to put aside probably 10 per cent of that every month to invest into different asset classes. Do you have any debt? We have a couple of credit cards as a family and try to pay them off every month. At different points over the years, we have ended up taking out loans, usually secured against my husband's salary. Within the business, I've taken debt at various points. Growing up, were you taught how to handle your finances? I was not. My father was the sole breadwinner in a house with eight children and he took quite a lot of risks. He co-founded four schools, so he remortgaged our house to support these schools. He managed his finances very closely, but on the flip side, he gave my mom a hard time about money. Growing up, I remember thinking that I'm never going to be financially dependent on anybody. It was one of the reasons why I was so determined to start my own business. What are your major monthly expenses? Rent and school fees. My personal expenses and company overheads are separate. If my husband and I end up covering any of Nabta's expenses, which has occurred when cash flow has been tight, those are rigorously documented and paid back when the company can afford it. Do you have an emergency fund? Yes, our family's emergency fund can sustain us for three months. What do you spend your disposable income on? I spend it on things to manage my health. I take dancing lessons, run, get regular massages and buy new sports equipment every now and then. I also see a Chinese energetics practitioner once a quarter. Watch: Why expat salary packages are not what they used to be Do you worry about money? I worry a lot about money in the context of the company, specifically making payroll and the implications of financial instability of everybody we employ because I am their support system. In the context of my family, I worry about money less because of a very strong support base in the UK. If anything were to happen, we could go back and stay with my family for however long it takes us to normalise. What are your financial goals? Financial sustainability for the company, first and foremost. And then I would like to get to a position where I could sustain my family as a sole breadwinner. I never intended to be in a position where I was financially dependent on somebody. Everybody should enter adult life assuming they can be financially independent. There are all sorts of hidden power dynamics associated with money. In an increasingly volatile world, entering the workforce and adulthood on an even footing is a good thing. What is your idea of financial freedom? To be in a position where you aren't actively worrying about surviving day to day, either in a professional or personal context. I want my company to be able to capitalise on growth opportunities to hire the right people and pay them good money to create financial stability.
