His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced decree No (36) of 2021 addressing the use of digital transaction technology in issues on individual status.

Article 1 of the decree specifies that the restriction on electronic transactions and trade contained in paragraphs of Article 2 of item 2 of Federal Law No (10 of 2006) will be lifted.

As stated in paragraph “A,” the use of information technology in transactions and matters relating to personal statuses, such as marriages, divorces, and wills, is prohibited.

Paragraph “E” forbids the use of information technology in any document that the law mandates the notary public to ratify. Thus according to Article 2 of the decree, information technology could be used in exchanges and matters relating to personal statuses, such as marriage, divorce, and wills, along with all documents that now the law necessitates ratification before the notary public, in compliance with the controls and procedures outlined in Federal Law No (1) of 2006, Federal Law No (4) of 2013, and its amendments, and also any applicable laws or judgments in place in the nation.

Thus according to article 3 of the decree, in transactions and matters relating to personal status and the work of a notary public, the Minister of Justice, the head of the competent local judicial authority, or his authorized representative may issue regulatory decisions using information technology in compliance with the provisions of the laws in force and this decree.

The decree furthermore says that records of exchanges and concerns about personal status and the notary public must be prepared and preserved secretly, either digitally or on the document.

They may not have been distributed, accessed, copied, or erased from the electronic information system unless permitted by the court or another institution in line with the rules of this resolution.

So according to WAM, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) recently released the “Digital Transformation in the UAE Report 2020,” which demonstrates the UAE's global leadership in digital transformation.

In a variety of disciplines, namely smart governance, telecommunications, education, health, and digital solutions in general, the UAE has dominated various worldwide and Arab rankings.

The report tells the tale of the UAE's digital transition, which began in the early 1980s with the foundation of the Public Information Authority. That authority was in charge of automating government operations and introducing computers into federal government activities.

The study highlighted certain digital successes up to 2021, the year of the UAE's golden jubilee, and preparedness for the following fifty years.

The study details, in figures and facts, the achievements of several industries in the UAE in regards to digital transformation. The UAE has been rated first in the number of authorized health care facilities index in the health sector.

The proportion of certified medical institutions that satisfied all of the criteria (including IT management and employment in healthcare services) was 88.33 %. It is rated 12th in terms of health facilities.

The UAE has already been rated first in numerous economic indices, including public-private collaboration and its influence on technology development, usage of digital professional networks, and government purchases of innovative technology items. In the global innovation index, preparedness for future index, IMD's virtual competitiveness index, and the market price of information and media technology index, the UAE was positioned first in the Arab area.

In terms of capacity building, the UAE is placed fourth in the world in terms of legal framework adaptation to digital business formats second in ICT usage, big data utilization, and research, and government future orientation.

The study highlighted several accomplishments of federal and municipal governments inside the realm of the digital transition. Accomplished projects include paperless government orientation, digital service portals, and digital connectivity between government organizations via the Federal Network (FedNet), UAE Pass, and Government Service Bus (GSB).