SDD announces 2.8m digital transactions and 30m real-time data exchanges

Gulf Today, Staff ReporterSharjah: Sharjah Digital Department (SDD) announced that government entities across the emirate completed more than 2.8 million digital transactions in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 50% compared to 2024. This milestone underscores the accelerating progress towards a fully integrated digital government.SDD also reported that real-time data exchange operations across government platforms exceeded 30 million transactions, reflecting a strong inter-connectivity between entities and the seamless flow of information in service of customers.In parallel, more than 25,000 employees were empowered through advanced digital programmes and systems to enhance government digital readiness.Additionally, over 65% of central government entities have been connected to the Unified Government Network, further strengthening the foundations of a cohesive, secure, and efficiently integrated government ecosystem.These announcements were made during the Sharjah Digital Integration Forum, organised by SDD under the theme ‘Together, We Shape Our Digital Future’ at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club.The forum was attended bySheikh Saud Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General of SDD, and Engineer Lamia Al Hossan Al Shamsi, Director of SDD, alongside senior officials and representatives from government entities.The event aimed to accelerate digital integration across the emirate’s government entities, strengthen collaboration, promote knowledge exchange, and advance a sustainable, people-centred digital ecosystem.In his opening remarks, Sheikh Saud Bin Sultan Al Qasimi emphasised that digital integration represents a strategic evolution, moving beyond digital transformation as a phase, toward embedding it as a sustainable operating model for government in Sharjah. He noted that the next stage will focus on unified vision and coordinated efforts, delivering measurable impact on people’s lives and building a more agile, efficient, and future-ready government.He described the past period as a journey of continuous progress, experimentation, and learning, through which significant milestones were achieved. These efforts reinforced a shared understanding that meaningful progress is not the result of a single entity but of a fully integrated ecosystem that embraces digital integration as a collective responsibility.Sheikh Saud expressed appreciation to all government entities for their collaborative spirit and for the tangible improvements they have achieved in enhancing services and the overall government experience.Looking ahead, Sheikh Saud noted that the next phase will be guided by six clear messages that define priorities and shape the roadmap forward, starting with aligning the strategic vision and direction of digital transformation across the Government of Sharjah. This alignment, he explained, will accelerate results, strengthen integration, and deliver a more seamless and unified customer journey.He also emphasised the importance of building shared digital infrastructure to fast-track service delivery, including government cloud services, networks, and cyber security systems. Data, he underscored, is the language of digital integration, requiring unified platforms and standards to enable secure, efficient, and reliable data exchange across government entities.For her part, Lamia Al Hossan Al Shamsi highlighted the achievements of 2025 as a strong foundation for deeper integration in the year ahead. She stated: “We continuously refine our tools and capabilities, guided by the understanding that digital integration is not a temporary initiative or a time-bound project. It is an ongoing journey. Our goal is for customers to experience a government that operates in harmony, enabling easy access to services, without complexity, and with confidence. We remain committed to ensuring that Sharjah continues to reflect reassurance, progress, and a future built around people.”The forum featured a panel discussion titled ‘Digital Integration: One Ecosystem, Greater Impact,’ highlighting the core pillars of digital integration and showcasing national success stories that demonstrated its tangible impact on service delivery and institutional performance. SDD also presented executive briefings on its 2026 strategic initiatives across cyber security, digital services, data and artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, marking a clear shift from planning to integrated execution.The event concluded with the recognition of leading government entities that excelled in adopting digital infrastructure services and advancing integration efforts. Awards were presented across three categories: entities that adopted Digital Sharjah as the unified gateway for digital services, entities distinguished by rapid responsiveness and strong alignment with the Sharjah Digital Transformation Strategy 2026–2028, and entities demonstrating the highest adoption of digital enablers and infrastructure. Additional recognition was given to entities that showcased outstanding success stories in enhancing customer experience.As part of strengthening strategic partnerships, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), supporting knowledge exchange, capacity building, and accelerating the achievement of Sharjah’s digital objectives.