UAE leadership seeks global leadership in government service excellence: Minister of Cabinet Affairs

DUBAI, 27th January, 2026 (WAM) — Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al Gergawi said the UAE leadership’s goal is to make the country the best in the world in delivering government services, noting that under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE has set unprecedented global benchmarks for service quality in less than two decades.

Speaking at the launch of the sixth cycle of the Global Star Rating System for Government Services, Al Gergawi said the UAE has developed and implemented a future-focused, people-centric services model built on speed, proactivity and quality of life, with government services designed to compete with — and surpass — those of the private sector.

The event, organised by the Emirates Government Service Excellence Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by more than 100 senior federal officials and saw the graduation of over 70 certified government assessors for the Global Star Rating System.

Al Gergawi noted that the system, launched 15 years ago by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, marked a transformative milestone in the UAE government’s journey towards excellence, reflecting a leadership philosophy that views serving people as the government’s foremost purpose. He added that the ambition to reach a seven-star level requires all entities to continuously enhance customer journeys and deliver integrated, high-quality services that simplify people’s lives.

He explained that the sixth cycle introduces qualitative enhancements aligned with government priorities, including proactivity, future readiness, zero bureaucracy, reduced time and effort, and faster transaction completion. He stressed that there is no place in today’s rapidly evolving, AI-driven world for bureaucratic governments or traditional approaches to service design and evaluation.

The minister revealed that customer feedback will account for 65 percent of overall assessment results, with reduced reliance on site visits and greater use of smart measurement tools to assess real impact on customers’ lives.

He reviewed the outcomes of 15 years of implementing the Global Star Rating System for Services, which have contributed to redesigning the customer experience, strengthening a culture of teamwork, and raising customer satisfaction levels from 49 percent to more than 90 percent. This has been accompanied by the adoption of advanced measurement tools, such as the “Customer Pulse” and the “Mystery Shopper”, and the expansion of the rating system to cover digital and smart channels alongside service centres.

For his part, Mohammed bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government, said the sixth cycle will cover 29 federal entities and more than 190 service channels, including service centres, call centres, smart applications and websites. He explained that the updated methodology shifts the focus from procedures to actual impact, with 65 percent of the final rating based on service impact and 35 percent on institutional effort, relying on community feedback as the cornerstone of evaluation.

The UAE launched the Global Star Rating System for Government Services in 2011 to redefine government service delivery and align it with international standards, with ratings ranging from two to seven stars. The system was further developed in 2019 to reflect advances in digital services and technological transformation.