In an effort to provide world-class judicial services and increase global competitiveness, the Judicial Department of Abu Dhabi has launched a digital authentication project that approves—or disapproves—the documents that enter and exit its offices. Applied to Notary and Authentication operations, the project comes as part of the emirate’s plan to digitize government services to its utmost degree of distinction and maintain the highest standards of information security.

The App in Question

The project’s guidelines are set to align with those of UAE PASS app, the emirate’s long standing digital identification system, which enables users to identify themselves to government service providers through smartphone-based authentication. The app is a collaboration between Smart Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, and the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in a mutual goal to smoothly transfer government services to the digital realm and cut down on paper transactions. In creating an account on UAE Pass, the user will have a single digital identity across both local and federal government entities, alongside other private sector service providers.

Benefits and Motives

Being the most technologically progressive in the Arab World comes with requisite and rapid reforms when systems are deemed well-worn. This project with the judicial department is of that outcome, bolstered by the desire to be a world leader in avant-garde government technology.

Aside from its sustainability and disposal of the manual route of dealing with justice department documents—the tried and true method of signing, sealing and sending as means to verify a court-related document—the system boasts two key wins in reforming an outdated system: efficiency and protection.

The user who wishes to authorize a document need not to look for a courier to deliver his or her desirables; instead, the user will receive and send the document digitally, increasing efficiency and reducing middle men and paper costs.

Security-wise, moreover, the project is set—citizens’ compatibility with UAE PASS ensures their connection to the government platform is both accurate and secure. The platform itself checks for the presence of the stamp of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, the personal certificate of the employee, the signature of the corporate body alongside QR codes to check the status of the Notary Public’s transactions, and the general authenticity of the document. Documents are also authorizable through the justice department’s website: www.adjd.gov.ae.

The website offers two routes to verification. One, by adding the number of the transaction and attaching a document of proof, or two, which reviews the first option through the given number of digital authentication. The digital authentication number of the Judicial Department’s documents is a figure resulting from complex algorithms to ensure the confidentiality of the information.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Olivia Baker is a Tech Innovation Fellow at Identity Review from Columbia University, where she writes on tech policy and national digital identity technologies.

Contact Olivia Baker at olivia@identityreview.com.

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