Dubai’s Ruler has issued Dubai Law No. 9/2022 on the regulation of the provision of digital services in the Emirate.

It has been issued to accelerate the Emirate’s digital transformation, improve the provision of digital services and promote the digitisation of services in the public and private sectors.

Under the Law and relevant decisions, Government entities and judicial authorities, including the Dubai Courts and Dubai Public Prosecution, as well as non-Government entities in Dubai, have to provide digital services to their customers.

The Chairman of the Executive Council will issue a decision on the roadmap for the implementation of the Law in line with the recommendations of the Digital Dubai Authority.

The Law outlines the conditions for providing digital services and adopting digital identities for obtaining subscribed services as well as cybersecurity requirements set by Dubai Electronic Security Centre.

It also covers the conditions for electronic payment solutions approved by the Department of Finance, service continuity in the event of disruptions, digital services approved by the Digital Dubai Authority and provision of services in Arabic, English and other languages.

Under the Law, digital services provided in Dubai must be user-friendly and accessible to disabled people free of charge.

The Digital Dubai Authority, together with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai and the Dubai Electronic Security Centre can exempt an entity from any of these conditions.

The Law states customers have to update their information submitted to digital service providers and adhere to terms and conditions outlined by the entity. Under the Law, customers will be held accountable for misusing the service and not adhering to required procedures.

In addition, under the Law, an entity can outsource its digital services to a public or private company, subject to the approval of relevant authorities and the Finance Department.

The outsourcing contract should clearly outline the responsibilities of each party, including contract duration and confidentiality requirements, as well as the rules for providing digital services.

The Director General of the Digital Dubai Authority, together with the General Secretariat of The Executive Council will issue the decisions and technical requirements required to implement the Law. These decisions will have to be published in the Official Gazette and the technical requirements published on the Digital Dubai Authority’s official website.

All digital service providers in Dubai must comply with the Law within a year of it being implemented.

The Chairman of the Executive Council can extend this deadline for a similar period based on the recommendations of the Digital Dubai Authority.

The Law states Federal and local legislations on digital transactions and digital signatures will apply to digital services in Dubai.

The Law will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on its published date.

Also reported in Alroeya on 4 April 2022. For full story, click here.

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