The innovation is a platform where all government sectors and private sectors can acquire the UAEPASS (Federal Digital Identity) log-in Application Programming Interface (API) and other services from a single platform. Similarly, in this platform the end-user can install the API without interference with the UAEPASS Operation team.
Innovation Summary
Innovation Overview
The UAE API Marketplace is a government platform that enables the UAE’s private sector to leverage on the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) of the UAE government and use them to provide seamless services to the UAE’s citizens and residents. The private sector, coders and app developers can leverage government software interfaces in developing new digital solutions, apps and services and launching start-ups capable of providing interconnected and seamless digital government services.
The API Marketplace aims to boost partnerships among government entities, and between the government and the private sectors, to provide interconnected digital services to customers around the clock and facilitate the provision of safe and reliable data and information. It will further facilitate business and e-commerce procedures. The first partnership on the platform was between Federal Tax Authority, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and eCommerce site Amazon. Through this partnership, services of Federal Tax Authority will be linked directly to the Amazon systems, thus promoting operations’ automation and accelerating sellers’ registration in the Amazon store in the UAE.
Users can explore our API catalogue and find out how our APIs can help transform your business digitally and resolve related challenges. The UAE API Marketplace was launched in collaboration between Emirates Government Services Excellence Programme (EGSEP) and TDRA With the increased use of UAEPASS, the UAEPASS team has faced a challenge to run the huge amount of requests by government and private entities to use UAEPASS as a log-in method. Therefore it was a challenge and an opportunity to increase the usage of the UAEPASS among UAE citizens.
The goal of the innovation is to:
- Reduce the operation of entities that are willing to use UAEPASS services
- A comprehensive platform that guides end-user to install the API without human interference
Targets:
- To increase the number of entities using UAEPASS
- To increase the number of people using UAEPASS
- To reduce the cost associated with the operation of API installation
Innovation Description
What Makes Your Project Innovative?
The project is innovative because it solves operation challenges with a small process that is provided through a single platform. Moreover, because the innovation has been through an internal innovation process cycle.
What is the current status of your innovation?
The website and the API installation is up and running, and there is an increase in the number of Government and entities usage of UAEPASS sign-in methods on their websites.
Innovation Development
Collaborations & Partnerships
The Innovation Office within TDRA has supported providing all the significant knowledge and skills in order to have a ready-for-market solution. The ICT department was the main stakeholder in implementing the platform.
Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
Several Beneficiaries are benefiting from the API Market Place.
- Citizen: with a single log-in and approved information, they can log in to several government, bank, and private sector websites, without creating a new username and password.
- Companies: they are benefiting from a short cut of the process of verifying the identity of the person when they log-in with UAEPASS.
Innovation Reflections
Results, Outcomes & Impacts
- Number of API’s Onboarded: 19 (Federal - 10, Federal (Upcoming) – 6, Digital Enablers -3)
- Number of requests per service: 3 (MOI – 2, MOHRE – 1)
- Number of Private Entities requesting APIs: 3 (Private entities requesting APIs – Standard Chartered, Data Value & Blue logic)
- Number of requests for Contact Us: 8 (Business Clarifications – 4, Onboarding Requests – 4, Issues – 0)
- All the private sector and government sectors can use UAEPASS for internal use and also for customer service requests.
- Private sector can leverage the API to reduce their logistics costs.
Challenges and Failures
The main challenge is the marketing aspects and making a case for the value of the project with the government and private sectors. Getting sensitive entities such as banks was a challenge until we got two banks to leverage the API ( Standard Charter, and Al Maryah Bank) As TDRA we reach out to government entities to use and install the API, and we plan that after this other governments will follow.
Conditions for Success
The number of API installations is measured, and the comparing methodologies have been used to compare the numbers before the API Marketplace and after in the same period. To get entities onboard it is important that the innovation improves the quality of life of the community, reduces negative effects on the environment, increases the number of services provided, and allows for budget saving.
Replication
The method could be used for different sectors and the method could be shared across the government entities.
Lessons Learned
The innovation was in prototype mode for several weeks in order to test the user experience. Then the platform was launched in beta mode. A better marketing plan could be in place to better share the benefit of the API installation.
Anything Else?
As challenges appeared after launching the major project UAEPASS a brainstorming session was conducted to come up with ideas to overcome such challenges. The innovation office used several innovation tools such as Business Model Canvas, and 5 Whys.
Supporting Videos
The #UAE_Innovates Award honoured the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority in the Most Innovative Government Process for its ‘UAE API Marketplace' project which represents a quantum leap towards a complete digital transformation for the private sector pic.twitter.com/kuK524XaB6
— UAE Innovates (@UAE_innovates) April 26, 2022
Status:
- Implementation - making the innovation happen
- Evaluation - understanding whether the innovative initiative has delivered what was needed
- Diffusing Lessons - using what was learnt to inform other projects and understanding how the innovation can be applied in other ways
Innovation provided by:
Media:
Date Published:
22 November 2023