(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi:

• The Ministry embraces a work philosophy inspired by the vision of our wise leadership, anchored on efficiency, agility and innovation as the pillars of government performance.
• Eliminating bureaucracy is not just an administrative initiative, but a shift in our culture of thinking and execution in the Ministry.

United Arab Emirates,October 2025- The Ministry of Sports has presented its significant efforts in enhancing government services and eliminating bureaucracy during the third periodic meeting of the second phase of the“Zero Bureaucracy” Programme, hosted by the United Arab Emirates University, to track progress on government efforts within the framework of the programme. These efforts include simplifying procedures and improving the service user experience, thereby strengthening institutional performance across the sports sector and supporting national efforts to deliver the best government services in the world.

The meeting was attended by H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports; H.E. Ghanim Mubarak El-Hajeri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports; H.E. Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sports Development and Competitiveness Sector; representatives from the Emirates Government Service Excellence Program; senior officials from the Ministry; and representatives from relevant federal and sports entities.

In his remarks, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi emphasised that since its establishment, the Ministry has adopted a work philosophy inspired by the wise leadership's vision, placing efficiency, agility and innovation at the core of government operations. H.E. further stated that eliminating bureaucracy extends beyond being an administrative project and instead is a cultural shift in how the Ministry thinks and delivers results.

“Our wise leadership has taught us that progress begins not with regulations, but with practical action and perseverance, and that bureaucracy is not a destiny but a challenge that can be overcome through collective determination and teamwork. Guided by this principle, we have ensured that our efforts are grounded in a culture that places service users' needs and aspirations at the heart of our development initiatives.”

H.E. added:“Within our first year, we established a committee dedicated to eliminating bureaucracy and launched seven specialised task forces to restructure services and simplify policies and procedures. These efforts have resulted in tangible, measurable improvements in the speed and efficiency of government services. This transformation extends beyond systems and processes; instead, it reflects a shift in institutional mindsets and performance culture, fostering a proactive approach to devising forward-thinking solutions as part of a culture we are proud to champion at the Ministry of Sports.”

The meeting included a detailed presentation of the Ministry's initiatives to eliminate bureaucracy, including service restructuring, policy development in collaboration with stakeholders through Customer Councils and User Experience Labs and the launch of the Ministry of Sports'“Zero Bureaucracy Charter”.

The Ministry explained that these improvements successfully reduced the processing time for the three sports leave services (issuance, data update, and cancellation) to zero, achieving a 100% completion rate. All required documents were eliminated, the number of steps was reduced by 33%, and website visits were cut by 50%. In addition, all unnecessary fields were removed. Consequently, customer satisfaction with these services is projected to reach 91% in 2025, a metric that clearly underscores the positive impact of these institutional reforms on the experience of both athletes and service users.

At the meeting, the Ministry team also showcased prominent initiatives to support Emirati athletes on their journey toward excellence and international achievement, including the Talent Committee Platform, a unified digital database for identifying and nurturing talent across various sports disciplines. The platform connects athletes with federations and clubs, using advanced AI tools and specialised assessments to evaluate performance, thereby enhancing the efficiency of talent selection and development.

The improvement of sports leave services has also accelerated athlete enrollment in national support programmes such as the UAE Committee for Talent and Sports Support and the Emirates Elite Sports Committee, streamlining access to local and international training camps which has positively impacted the readiness of national athletes and their ability to achieve outstanding representation in global competitions.

To reinforce the Zero Bureaucracy approach, the Ministry regularly organises service development workshops, innovation competitions and recognition programmes. Notable efforts include advancing policies and regulations via updating the Service Level Agreement, revisions to the Sports Leave Regulations and incorporating Zero Bureaucracy as standard in the Sports Federations Governance Manual, fostering a lasting culture of excellence and administrative transformation.

These efforts have already delivered measurable national impact. Alongside service users' higher satisfaction rates, the National Talent Committee Platform recorded a strong start in its first assessment cycle with 1,169 athletes creating profiles, 370 submitting applications, 126 being invited for testing and 101 athletes from 22 sports disciplines participating, bringing the total number of elite athletes to 92 to date. These outcomes underscore the success of the Zero Bureaucracy approach in strengthening the sports ecosystem, empowering national talent and accelerating the path of Emirati athletes to the world stage.

The Ministry's team affirmed that the next phase will focus on expanding digital transformation in sports services, advancing institutional performance indicators through AI and enhancing collective effort among local and federal sports entities to build a more efficient, sustainable sports sector and establish the UAE's sports service model as an example of government excellence in the UAE.

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