Dubai eGovernment has announced that it is offering instant information on the go for DSF 2008 events through mDubai, the innovative channel it offers for communication between citizens and government departments via SMS.
Users can either get information on 5 random events of the day or request for specific events of the day. To request for information in Arabic for 5 random events, users need to type DSF A and send it as an SMS to 4488. The same information can be received in English by typing DSF E.
For information about DSF events taking place in specific locations, a user should send an SMS stating the category type, to 4488. For example, to know the schedule of events taking place in Creek Park, in Arabic, a user only needs to type “DSF A CREEK”. To receive the same information in English, the user should type “DSF E CREEK”. Other category types include, SIGN for signature events; SEEF for Al Seef Road events; MURAQ for Al Muraqqabat Road events; SAMA for Sama Dubai Channel and Grand Raffle Program; FAZZA for Fazza Championship; HERIT for heritage events; CONCERT for concert and shows; SPORT for sports championship; and ADDL for additional events.
“Easing the lives of people in Dubai forms the core of Dubai eGovernment’s primary goal. Through our mDubai service, residents and tourists in Dubai can receive accurate and prompt information regarding various DSF events taking place across the emirate. Given the fact that there has been a steady increase in the use of Dubai eGovernment’s electronic services by the public in recent years, we expect this mDubai service for DSF 2008 to be hugely popular,” said Salem Al-Shair, Director, eServices, Dubai eGovernment.
Dubai eGovernment is also organising a competition during DSF 2008, where participants stand a chance to win prizes by answering the eGovernment Quiz at the eGovernment stands at Global Village and Al Seef Road. Visitors to the eGovernment stands at Global Village and Al Seef Road also receive welcome cards, which provide an overview of the various electronic services provided by Dubai eGovernment and other government departments in Dubai.
The mDubai service is one of the most frequently used services of Dubai eGovernment. In 2007, there were more than 18,552 pull and 14,126,005 push messages sent and received via SMS. The most frequently sent Push messages last year included health card expiry notification; traffic on roads; driving test notification; traffic fine notification; opening and closing timings of bridges; trade license expiry notification; added remark on a license notification and payment voucher notification.
The most widely availed Pull messages included fines enquiry from Dubai Police; flight information from Dubai Civil Aviation; inquiring transaction status from Dubai Economic Department and daily event schedule inquiry for Dubai Summer Surprises.
