Nations around the world are prioritizing e-government, not only to streamline the flow of information between officials and citizens, but also to cut operating costs and boost local economies through service integration between agencies, both domestically and internationally.

"E-government is fast becoming the key driver of a country's economy," said Salem Al Shair, director of e-services for Dubai e-government, in a statement after a recent United Nations report ranked the United Arab Emirates as the top performer in e-government readiness in the Middle East and Africa. The report also credited several other Middle Eastern countries—Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, and Qatar—for their strong efforts in developing such programs in recent years.

Looking to Dubai E-government is a growing priority in the Middle East. By many accounts, the United Arab Emirates is setting the bar for neighboring countries. "There's a definite and growing interest here in Egypt and throughout the region in e-commerce and e-government," says Mahmoud Hassan, a technology consultant based in Cairo. "And all eyes are on the Emirates and what they have managed to accomplish within their e-government project. We feel that it is a showcase for the entire region and a model for all of us to emulate." Dubai began work on its e-government project in April 2000, when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, who is both the Crown Prince of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates defense minister, launched a review of how government services had been delivered in the past and how IT and the Internet could be used to improve delivery of services. For the portal that serves as the heart of the e-government program, Dubai officials chose the Sun Java System powered by Sun's Service-Driven Network Architecture. Sun Java System software supports Dubai's development and deployment of dedicated Web-based applications today, and the emerging service delivery methods of tomorrow. Dubai's e-government services include the "e4all" project, which enables citizens to buy and use computers and software programs; the "e-citizen" program, which helps residents understand how Dubai e-government works; and the "e-employee" program, which trains government workers. The United Arab Emirates has set a goal of migrating more than 70 percent of its public services to the Internet by 2005, according to Salem Al Shair, director of e-services for Dubai e-government. Dubai e-government currently offers more than 600 online services through its Web portal. "Dubai e-government is not just a window to the government, it is a portal for the whole city itself," says Al-Shair in a Sun success story (PDF). "It will offer e-services to everybody who lives here and anybody who is visiting. The portal includes information covering just about every aspect of life and business in Dubai. Over time, a greater range of services will be added, enabling businesses, individuals, and other government agencies to transact securely with one another."

At a December conference on e-government projects held in Saudi Arabia, Al Shair said the ultimate goal of United Arab Emirates' e-government initiative is to develop a digital economy that will allow the country's economy to integrate with those of the rest of the world. The Dubai project could act as a blueprint, he added, for developing additional e-government programs in the Arab region.

The Dubai e-government portal development team partnered with Sun Microsystems to deploy its successful electronic government solution. (For more information, see sidebar.)

Sun is also helping other countries in the region to envision and enable their own e-government projects.

A Portal to Pakistan

Most recently, a team of Sun executives met with Pakistan's federal minister for information technology, Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, and other ministry officials to discuss the possibility of working together on projects to benefit the country and the entire region.

Sun has developed a broad range of services and software solutions that would work well with Pakistan's burgeoning e-government program. Pakistani professionals will also be able to team with Sun to produce new technology solutions that could first be used locally, and then expanded internationally.

Leghari has said he wants the Pakistan e-government system to offer concrete benefits for all citizens of the country. Enabling citizens to access information and public services via the Web will enhance government efficiency, Leghari said during a January 2004 e-business conference held in the port city of Karachi. Government officials will also have direct information access through the system, enabling them to better identify community needs and address them with local public welfare projects.

Leghari also said he wants to use Pakistan's e-government program to enrich the local economy by employing regional IT companies to handle technology integration. The federal IT minister believes working in partnership with companies like Sun will help technology firms in Pakistan develop best-of-breed software solutions that can eventually enable e-government programs elsewhere.

Pakistan launched its e-government initiative in October 2002 with a Web portal designed to enhance citizen services and provide information to residents, visitors, and businesses investigating opportunities in the country. The portal integrated the Web sites of various federal ministries and agencies.

"Many countries in this region are starting to realize that e-government is part and parcel of a proper e-business infrastructure that allows a country to join the global business community," says information technology analyst Raza Jafri, who is based in Islamabad.

"E-government draws foreign business to a country, and makes it easier for local businesses to advertise themselves to the world. At its best, e-government is more than just a conduit to official forms—it is the face that a country shows to the rest of the world. It is a necessary component of a healthy growing economy," she adds.