Latest news with #DigitalTransformationProgramme
25-05-2025
- Business
Oman launches Shabik to streamline online ticket bookings
Muscat – The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth (MCSY) on Sunday launched 'Shabik', a new digital platform that enables online ticket booking for cultural, sports, and youth events across Oman. The announcement was made during the ministry's media forum dedicated to its Digital Transformation Programme. The event also marked the launch of the Gulf region's largest hackathon, branded 'Accelerators', and a series of strategic initiatives to enhance digital services. The forum was held under the patronage of H E Sayyid Saeed bin Sultan al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Culture, and H E Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at MCSY. Sultan Mohsen al Subhi, Head of the Technical Programmes Management Team and Director of the Digital Transformation Programme at the minister's office, said the ministry's efforts align with Oman's national digital strategy. 'We are working to keep pace with global developments and enhance the efficiency and quality of digital government services,' Subhi said. 'Our team has focused on collecting, analysing, and improving data digitally through a methodology rooted in research, understanding, and actionable recommendations.' The eight-week hackathon, set for 2025, will target innovators, entrepreneurs, and tech talent across the region to accelerate progress in culture, sports, and youth-related sectors. During the forum, MCSY signed six memoranda of understanding to support the hackathon, strengthen digital transformation indicators, and improve cybersecurity.
Observer
25-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
MoCSY unveils key digital transformation initiatives
MUSCAT: MUSCAT: In a move aligned with Oman Vision 2040, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) announced the launch of several ambitious digital transformation initiatives during a media forum held in Muscat on Sunday. The event was attended by Sayyid Said bin Sultan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture; Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, and a number of senior ministry officials. LAUNCH OF 'SHABIK' PLATFORM A major highlight of the event was the official launch of the 'Shabik' mobile application, the Ministry's new e-ticketing system for cultural, sports and youth events. The platform was inaugurated by Sayyid Said bin Sultan al Busaidy and is designed to streamline ticket booking, enhance user experience, and facilitate community engagement in public events. The platform also offers the Ministry critical tools for data analysis and crowd management, contributing to smarter event planning. The initiative reflects a significant milestone in the Ministry's digital agenda and supports Oman's broader vision for digital government services. The event concluded with a workshop titled "Enhancing Readiness for Change at the Individual and Institutional Level," delivered by change management expert Hanan al Salmi LAUNCH OF OMAN'S LARGEST HACKATHON PROGRAMME Another cornerstone initiative is the launch of the largest Hackathon programme in the Gulf region, an eight-week national challenge bringing together programmers, innovators, and creatives. The goal is to develop practical digital solutions that support and advance the Ministry's work across culture, sports, and youth sectors. Sultan al Subhi, Director of the Digital Transformation Programme, affirmed that the Ministry's recent efforts to digitise and refine sector data towards applying a structured methodology based on understanding, analysis, and implementation to drive real results. During the forum, the MoCSY signed six key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with local and international partners, including: Aman Company — to improve digital excellence indicators, Sohar International Bank — as a strategic partner for the Hackathon, Al Qala'a — for cybersecurity collaboration, Cisco — to explore advanced technology applications, Tatweer — for software and application security testing, Tanafos — for digital solution development support Capacity-Building Workshop. The event concluded with a workshop titled "Enhancing Readiness for Change at the Individual and Institutional Level," delivered by change management expert Hanan bint Hamed al Salmiyah. The session focused on the human dimension of digital transformation and stressed the importance of preparing employees for rapid shifts in technology and digital services.
Zawya
09-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UBF: Smart banking empowers future economy
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: The UAE Banks Federation (UBF), the sole representative and unified voice of UAE banks, has emphasised the importance of continuing initiatives and efforts to advance smart banking services in order to build a future economy characterised by prosperity, resilience, financial inclusion, transparency, diversification, and sustainability. During its participation in the 14th edition of the AIM Investment Summit, UBF reaffirmed the banking sector's commitment to developing and adopting smart solutions and advanced technologies. This is to enhance the UAE's position as a global financial and logistics hub, under the direct supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE, which sets the appropriate frameworks to achieve the country's strategic goals by enabling the financial and banking sector to play its vital role in sustainable economic and social development. The AIM Investment Summit, taking place from April 7 to 9, 2025, under the theme 'The New Wave of a Globalised Investment Landscape: Towards a New Balanced World Structure,' hosts heads of state, more than 60 ministers and central bank governors, 30 city mayors, 1,250 speakers, 16 heads of stock markets, 600 exhibitors, and over 20,000 participants from 180 countries—highlighting its status as a leading global investment platform. In his keynote speech at the 'Future of Finance' session, which featured senior officials and experts from the banking, finance, and technology sectors, Mr. Jamal Saleh, Director General of UBF, said: 'The banking sector is distinguished by its progressive approach in adopting and developing advanced technologies to deliver seamless and secure banking services to customers. The proactive role of the Central Bank of the UAE fosters innovation to meet the evolving needs of diverse customer segments and keep pace with rapid advancements in fintech, while ensuring optimal conditions for protecting digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.' He added: 'Guided by the visionary leadership of the UAE, the country is redefining innovation and ambition across various fields, spearheading digital transformation and smart services. The UAE Digital Strategy aims to double the digital economy's contribution to the GDP—from 9.7% to over 20% by 2031—underscoring the commitment to strengthening its leading status as a global centre for finance, investment, and trade.' The Director General of the UBF noted that 'The initiatives launched by the Central Bank of the UAE have led to a qualitative leap in financial services and strengthened the UAE's pivotal role in shaping a better future for the banking industry locally, regionally, and globally. Supportive regulations, robust frameworks, and ambitious initiatives like the Digital Transformation Programme for financial services have established an integrated ecosystem that empowers financial institutions, tech companies, and investors to innovate, operate with confidence, and manage risks efficiently.' 'UAE banks continue to invest in upgrading their technology infrastructure, offering specialised services, and continuously enhancing digital channels. This has significantly increased the adoption of digital services, with more than 95% of all transactions at leading banks now conducted digitally, and over 90% of services available via smart phones—placing the UAE among the world's top performers in digital banking.' Mr. Saleh highlighted the importance of leveraging rapid developments in digital technologies to create innovative solutions for building the future economy, noting that the UAE banking sector is at the forefront of these efforts by deploying blockchain, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cloud computing to provide better services, enhance operational excellence, and improve risk management and regulatory compliance. 'To further strengthen the role of smart banking in achieving economic growth and diversification, we must continue to invest in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity frameworks, and supportive regulatory environments that promote innovation while ensuring the protection of customers and the financial system,' he added. Mr. Saleh also discussed the key factors and trends driving digital and smart transformation efforts, and the role of UBF and member banks in fostering collaboration with fintech firms and relevant institutions to develop a thriving smart banking ecosystem. He pointed to initiatives for talent development, raising awareness of digital services, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention, as well as sustainable finance aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, and wealth and investment management solutions integrated through APIs and AI capabilities. He stressed that the UAE has successfully laid the foundation for the growth of open banking and finance in a secure environment—enabling the provision of tailored banking services that meet the needs of all customer segments and enhance financial inclusion. In addition to the future of finance, the main themes of the AIM Investment Summit included global trade, foreign direct investment, startups and unicorns, smart cities, global manufacturing, the digital economy, and entrepreneurship. The current edition featured more than 400 panel discussions and 13 high-level roundtable meetings. -Ends- About UAE Banks Federation (UBF): Established in 1982, UAE Banks Federation (UBF), the sole representative and unified voice of UAE banks, comprising 62 members of banks and financial institutions operating in the UAE. UBF advocates the interests of all its members and enhances cooperation and coordination between them in order to elevate the UAE's banking ecosystem for the benefit of members, customers, and the overall UAE economy. UBF's mission and objectives are focused on representing its members and defending their rights and interest. UBF provides a platform for cooperation and the exchange of ideas and expertise among its members and plays a significant role in raising public awareness about the contributions of the UAE banking sector to the economic and social development of the country. UBF has a 22-member Advisory Council consisting of CEOs and General Managers from member banks and financial institutions, which oversees the implementation of UBF's policies and activities. The CEOs Council also makes directional decisions through UBF's General Secretariat for UBF's 28 technical and 6 advisory committees, which in turn are tasked to discuss all issues relevant to the UAE banking and financial services ecosystem. UAE Banks Federation also includes a CEOs Consultative Council, which consists of chief executives of other member banks. For further information, please contact: Sooyin Lee UAE Banks Federation sooyin@
09-04-2025
- Business
UAE Banks Lead the Charge in Smart Banking to Power Future Economy
The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing smart banking services as a cornerstone of the nation's future economic vision—marked by resilience, financial inclusion, and sustainability. Speaking at the 14th AIM Investment Summit in Abu Dhabi, UBF Director-General Jamal Saleh highlighted the sector's proactive embrace of advanced technologies under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE. This effort, he noted, aims to position the UAE as a global financial and logistics hub and accelerate the country's digital economy agenda. Held from 7 to 9 April 2025, the AIM Summit gathered global leaders, with over 20,000 participants from 180 countries, under the theme: 'The New Wave of a Globalised Investment Landscape.' In his keynote at the 'Future of Finance' session, Saleh stressed the vital role of digital transformation, smart services, and fintech in shaping an inclusive, innovation-driven financial system. He pointed to initiatives such as the Central Bank's Digital Transformation Programme and robust cybersecurity frameworks as key enablers of progress. Today, more than 95% of transactions at major UAE banks are conducted digitally, with over 90% of services accessible via smartphones—making the UAE a global frontrunner in digital banking. Saleh also emphasised the importance of investing in talent, raising cybersecurity awareness, and aligning smart banking efforts with ESG standards. He noted that technologies like AI, blockchain, and open APIs are transforming financial services, enabling customised solutions and enhancing regulatory compliance. The UAE, he concluded, is setting new benchmarks in smart finance by fostering collaboration between banks, fintechs, and regulators—paving the way for a more inclusive, secure, and future-ready economy. News Source: Emirates News Agency
