Dubai Crown Prince: Dubai blockchain platform plans to achieve government document management and storage by 2020

The Crown Prince of Dubai recently announced a strategic plan that all government documents will be securely stored on the blockchain by 2020.

The announcement was made by Dubai’s crown prince at an event jointly hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation and the Smart Dubai Office. The blockchain platform is expected to eventually be used in government systems in multiple countries and cities.

(Crown Prince of Dubai)

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the initiative is part of the UAE’s smart city project and aims to set standards for the project.

He said:

Dubai is working hard to stay ahead of the curve. We will keep up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and focus on technologies and tools that can improve efficiency.

The Dubai government estimates that its blockchain strategy will save 2510万个小时of economic productivity each year while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The plan represents Dubai's efforts over the past year and their determination to become a global leader in blockchain technology. In April this year, Dubai launched a Global Blockchain Initiative (GBI). At that time, it had recruited nearly 30 members from the public and private sectors. Now the number of members has reached 47, including members from government and financial institutions.

Two major organizations – the Dubai Future Foundation and the Smart Dubai Office – will be responsible for this new blockchain strategy.

Three pillars

It is reported that Dubai's blockchain strategy will be built on "three pillars", including government efficiency, industry creativity and international leadership.

Organizers believe that the blockchain project can bring about digital city transactions, thereby improving government efficiency. In addition, once government documents are stored on the blockchain, the project will create more business opportunities for private sector companies.

Dubai hopes that real estate, banking, healthcare, transportation, urban planning, smart energy, digital commerce and tourism will all benefit from this new industry transition.

Perhaps what’s interesting about this news is that Dubai plans to open its blockchain platform in other cities and countries.

The Dubai Future Foundation and the Smart Dubai Office believe that with an international network, cross-border identity authentication, digital wallet and payment verification will become much simpler.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs in Dubai, said:

When users register, they only need to enter their personal information or business license; then all information will be updated and verified on the blockchain network in a timely manner, and all governments and private companies, including banks and insurance companies, can share this information.