Dubai Approves Digital Authorisations for Government Transactions: What Founders Should Know

DUBAI — Anyone who has run a small company in Dubai knows the routine: a staff member, a PRO or an agent needs to handle a government transaction for you, and first you need paperwork proving they are allowed to. On Tuesday, October 27, Dubai’s Executive Council approved a system meant to make that step digital.

The Digital Authorisation System was one of three approvals at a meeting chaired by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, according to the Dubai Media Office. The council also approved an Urban Centres Development Plan with a budget of more than AED 2 billion and a Sustainable Population Planning Policy.

What the Digital Authorisation System Does

According to the Dubai Media Office, the system:

• Is delivered through a platform developed and operated by Digital Dubai.
• Lets customers, both individuals and companies, authorise others to complete transactions on their behalf.
• Covers low-risk services that do not require notary public or legal attestation procedures.
• Uses the UAE PASS digital identity for verification and integrates with digital applications and services across channels.

The council set three targets for the system: a 100% digital experience through a unified platform, 100% effectiveness in combating fraud, disputes and operational risks, and a 90% score on the Customer Effort Index.

“Today, we approved the Digital Authorisation System for individuals and companies to deliver a unified and trusted government experience that serves society and business,” Sheikh Hamdan said, noting that Dubai ranked second in the 2026 Smart City Index.

What has not been announced: the official statements do not give a launch date, list which specific government services will be covered first, or say whether there will be any fee. Founders should treat this as an approved policy, not yet a live service. Notarised powers of attorney will still be needed for anything outside the “low-risk” scope.

Why It Matters for Small Companies

For a founder, the practical value is in delegation. Many small firms rely on one person, often the founder, to approve or submit routine government work. A digital, revocable authorisation tied to UAE PASS could let a founder hand specific tasks to an operations manager or outside service provider without a trip to a notary, and withdraw that permission just as quickly.

This is our editorial reading; the benefit will depend on how many services Digital Dubai connects.

The Urban Centres Plan: Where People and Jobs Will Cluster

The second approval is aimed at the physical city. The Urban Centres Development Plan, overseen by the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning and Dubai Municipality, covers six main urban centres and 42 supporting sub-centres, together about 12% of Dubai’s urban area, per the Dubai Media Office.

Key figures from the announcement:

• Budget: more than AED 2 billion.
• Projected impact: an AED 20 billion increase in the real estate value of the targeted centres by 2040.
• Transit access: raise the share of residents living around metro stations from 52% to 74%.
• Public services: lift coverage from 74% to 85%.

The plan rests on three pillars: quality of life, economic returns, and infrastructure efficiency and cost. That means concentrating population and jobs around mass transit stations and bringing homes closer to workplaces. The National reported the same figures. The government has not yet published a list of which 48 centres are included.

The Population Policy

The third approval, the Sustainable Population Planning Policy, links population growth forecasts with economic and urban plans so that services and infrastructure keep pace. The Media Office says it will support job growth in high-productivity sectors in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, help attract talent and aim to raise average incomes.

“Dubai is a preferred city to live, work and invest, welcoming investors, entrepreneurs and talent, and home to a community of more than 200 nationalities,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

What Founders Can Do Now

This is our editorial guidance, not official advice.

• Get UAE PASS sorted. The new system relies on it for identity verification. Make sure the founders, managers and any staff who handle government work have verified UAE PASS accounts.
• Map your delegated tasks. List the government transactions you currently handle through a PRO, agent or employee, and note which need a notarised power of attorney today. That list will show you where the new system could save time once services go live.
• Plan permissions like access rights. When the platform launches, give authorisations only for the tasks and the period needed, and review them when staff leave.
• Watch the transit map. If you are choosing a location for a shop, clinic, café or office, the plan’s focus on metro-linked centres signals where Dubai expects population and jobs to concentrate between now and 2040. Wait for the official list of centres before making decisions on it.
• Follow Digital Dubai. It will operate the platform, so watch Digital Dubai for launch details.

The Bottom Line

None of the three approvals changes anything this week. Together they point toward fewer counter visits, more delegated digital transactions and growth steered toward metro-connected neighbourhoods. The useful move now is preparation.

Details come from the Dubai Media Office and The National as of October 30, 2026. Service lists, launch timing and the list of urban centres had not been published at the time of writing.