Social media to be monitored in UAE, strict norms implemented

Dubai - Most government departments responded swiftly to Sheikh Mohammed's message.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in his open letter had indicated that the reputation of the UAE is not for public use by those who seek more followers.

Following this, the UAE Cabinet directed the National Media Council (NMC) to control social media sites and establish stricter standards to defend the UAE and enhance its stature regionally and internationally. It also asked the government communication office of General Secretariat of the Cabinet to monitor live news and social media feeds while ensuring that all federal authorities respond to enquiries and grievances of citizens.

Govt depts express commitment to customer service

Most government departments responded swiftly to Sheikh Mohammed's message that officials should address public needs and respond to concerns.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), said: "The messages from Sheikh Mohammed to citizens and officials in the UAE, are a roadmap for us in all our efforts to achieve the vision of His Highness to strengthen the competitiveness of the UAE government. The UAE has become a benchmark for governments seeking to improve their performance and achieve the happiness of their people."

Dewa has a robust procedure in place along with a dedicated team to monitor and respond to customers through media channels as soon as possible. Last year, 100 per cent of all customer complaints aired on media were resolved in a timely manner, depending on the nature of the issue, added Al Tayer.

"Dewa has maintained its top position in the Happiness Index in the large Dubai Government Entities category for the second consecutive year, with a 95 per cent happiness level according to Smart Dubai's Happiness Index. We take our customers' happiness very seriously, and we will continue to do so, for generations to come."

Justice Doctor Jamal Al Sumaiti, director-general of the Dubai Judicial Institute, said: "We see that His Highness monitors national affairs and offers solutions to enhance our capabilities, inspiring us to share our efforts and opinions, and promoting healthy practices in order to fix the issues as they arise. The directives should be complementary and act as a supportive factor to the legislation. The letter was positive, and His Highness reminds us of our achievements in a record period of time. In order to maintain the pace and live up to the goals set by our founding fathers, we need to prepare for the future and ensure that each one of us is a soldier who works hard to enhance the UAE's position as a world-class country.

Sultan Butti bin Mejren, director-general of the Dubai Land Department, said: "We will remain keen on serving our customers, and offering them the best and fastest services to ensure their comfort and happiness, so that our emirate remains distinct in its achievements and ambitious future plans can be materialised in order for us to climb up the ladder and rank on the global performance indicators.

Mejren added: "We affirm to continue our commitment that we made to His Highness after he issued the 50-Year Charter and the Eight Principles of Governance. His Highness' guidance will continue to be the main pillar on which our strategies are based. He encourages us to launch projects that add value and make our city shine, thereby positioning it as one of the most developed cities of the world."

Sharjah Social Security Fund introduces Instagram account

The Sharjah Social Security Fund has launched its own official Instagram account with the hashtag "sssfshj" to promote the culture of social insurance and cohesion and ensuring effective engagement and communication with various segments of society. The social media platform identifies the the significant role played by the Fund in serving the local community of Sharjah, providing an interactive communication tool to respond to public queries, regarding the social security system in the emirate.

Mohammed Obaid Al Shamsi, director-general of the SSSF, said: "The Fund's official Instagram account is a new step among others taken by it to ensure direct communication with the public, through which they can communicate with the team to answer their needs and respond to their queries, in addition to the already available e-mail: info@sssf.shj.ae."

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin are popular platforms among others that gain traffic in real-time. Out of 9.61 million population in the UAE, the internet penetration is reported as 99 per cent where 9.52 million people are active internet users in UAE, according to a report by Hootsuite.

Joseph John Nalloor, Programme Coordinator, Media and Communication, Murdoch University Dubai, said: "The UAE government's use of social media is exemplary in terms of governance and reaching out to the people. According to industry reports, social media penetration is more than 90 per cent in the UAE and that's why it assumes so much power in each of our hands. Therefore it becomes all the more important to use it responsibly. Home to 200 nationalities, users in UAE have to remember that online has no geographic boundaries. Every culture has different sensibilities that need to be respected. Each one of us are ambassadors of the region - and have the responsibility to give out the right message. I always tell my students - "Think once before you speak! Twice before you act! But think three times before you put anything on social media! because it may always be there online". - sandhya@khaleejtimes.com

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