Her Excellency Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Chairwoman of the Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation, Chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR), led a UAE government delegation to the Republic of Singapore during an official visit which encompassed the discussion of  cooperation areas and the exchange of experiences and expertise in relation to government work, digital transformation and future readiness.

This official visit to Singapore, followed an invitation from the Singapore government. The visit comprised a series of meetings with government leaders at the ministerial and Permanent Secretary levels, as well as other officials from the Singapore government, aimed at exchanging experiences and expertise in government and digital development. HE Mohamed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the United Arab Emirates Government; HE Jamal Abdulla AlSuwaidi, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore and a number of government officials attended the meetings.

During the visit, bilateral meetings were held with a number of government officials who specialized in government and digital development, led by HE Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Minister-In-Charge of the Government Technology Agency (GovTech); HE Leo Yip, Head of Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office; HE Tan Gee Keow, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Division; HE Jamie Ang, Deputy Secretary (Transformation) of the Public Service Division; Ms. Peck Kem Low, Chief HR Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development) of the Public Service Division; Mr. Peter Ho, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures; among other officials.

Ohood Al Roumi: Exchanging Government Experiences Drives the Future of Government

Her Excellency affirmed that the UAE government, under the directives of its wise leadership, is committed to enhancing government partnerships and fostering international cooperation models to support government and digital development efforts aimed at shaping the future of government. This commitment impacts positively on the transformation of government operations and efficiency, enhances digital experiences for customers and improves community wellbeing.

Her Excellency Al Roumi stated that the UAE and Singapore maintain strategic relations across various fields of government work and development, with advanced government practices and models in both countries. She highlighted that government exchanges enhance the effectiveness of government and digital development through the mutual sharing of key experiences, which contribute to the creation of new models, directions and vision in building an advanced future government.

During the meeting with HE Dr Janil Puthucheary, the UAE government delegation learnt about the Ministry's initiatives in digital transformation and its role in enhancing digital readiness across government entities. Delegation members were also briefed regarding Smart Nation Singapore and its comprehensive digital transformation efforts in advancing government services and a digital culture.

Throughout the meeting, both parties discussed opportunities of digital cooperation between the UAE and Singapore governments in the area of government digital development.

Her Excellency Ohood Al Roumi and the UAE delegation met with Mr. Peter Ho, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures, and discussed the enhancement of future preparedness capabilities and new advancements of future-centric tools supported by advanced technology and data. They also explored avenues of cooperation between the Centre and the Government Development and the Future Office.

During a meeting with HE Leo Yip, discussions focused on potential areas of partnership, bilateral cooperation and the exchange of experiences across various aspects of government digital transformation. Discussion scope included developing the capabilities of government leaders and future skillsets, fostering a productivity culture, enhancing new government performance models, as well as designing and implementing continuous digital learning capabilities to enhance government talents.

The visit included a meeting with HE Tan Gee Keow, where the delegation examined Singapore's systems in preparing government talent for the future, developing critical government skillsets, selecting future government leaders, as well as experiences in achieving transformation of the work environment. Both sides discussed new government work models powered by advanced technology and data to support strategic decision-making, the enhancement of government performance and acceleration of innovation, so as to create opportunities and solutions to challenges.

The UAE government delegation was briefed on the Singapore government's experiences in leveraging advanced technology and data to achieve government transformation. They discussed new governance mechanisms within the civil service, as well as relevant executive policies and projects. The discussion also covered the future of government roles and emerging jobs in the government sector, as well as the impact of technological advancements on such roles.

In addition, both sides discussed the importance of the continuous development of policies and capabilities in human resources to ensure readiness and adaptation to future changes.

The UAE government delegation's itinerary in Singapore also included a visit to the Service SG Centre. During the visit, insights were gained in relation to designing and delivering next-generation government services supported by advanced technology.