Digital Dubai expands Emirates Group platform access

Digital Dubai and the Emirates Group have signed a collaboration agreement to widen the aviation group’s access to Dubai’s government digital services, shared platforms and data.

The agreement is designed to improve employee experience, accelerate internal processes and strengthen operational efficiency across a workforce of more than 130,000 people. It also creates a framework for systems integration, secure data exchange and wider use of common digital infrastructure.

Matar Saeed Al Hemeiri, chief executive of the Digital Dubai Government Establishment, and Amira Al Awadhi, Emirates’ senior vice-president for human resources operations and systems, signed the agreement. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, director-general of Digital Dubai, attended the signing.

The partnership gives the Emirates Group access to digital services, enablement platforms, data products and statistical services developed by Digital Dubai. The two organisations will also exchange technical expertise and operational practices as they work to reduce friction in employee-facing processes and enable faster, more accurate handling of information.

Officials said the arrangement would support real-time data processing and help employees complete administrative procedures more efficiently. The programme is expected to connect separate systems, reduce duplication and create a more agile digital environment for the group’s airline, aviation services and support operations.

Oliver Grohmann, Emirates Group executive vice-president for human resources, said the initiative was intended to remove obstacles from workforce processes so employees could concentrate on higher-value tasks. He said the collaboration extended beyond convenience and efficiency by contributing to the integrated digital foundations being built across Dubai.

The scale of the project is significant. The Emirates Group ended the 2025-26 financial year with 130,919 employees, an increase of 8 per cent. The group also invested AED17.9 billion in aircraft, facilities, equipment and technology during the year, highlighting the need for systems that can support expansion.

The agreement includes high-performance service standards, advanced support and response mechanisms, and information-security requirements aligned with international practices. These provisions will be central as the two sides connect platforms and expand the movement of data between public-sector infrastructure and a major aviation business.

Digital Dubai said the partnership would accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. That objective fits the emirate’s broader digital strategy, which is built around seven pillars covering the digital city, economy, data and statistics, talent, infrastructure, cybersecurity and competitiveness.

Dubai has also directed government entities to integrate services for individuals and businesses into a unified digital ecosystem. Digital Dubai is coordinating that effort, which aims to simplify user journeys and reduce the number of separate platforms needed to complete transactions.

The Emirates agreement extends that integration model to one of Dubai’s largest employers and key economic institutions. It reflects a wider shift from stand-alone digital services towards shared platforms that can serve government departments, companies and individuals through interoperable systems.

Data is expected to be a major component of the collaboration. Dubai has been developing a unified data and artificial intelligence platform intended to provide official statistics, allow secure information sharing and support analysis for decisions. Greater access to such services could help the Emirates Group improve workforce planning, service delivery and resource allocation.

Integrating databases and employee systems requires clear rules on access, retention, cybersecurity and accountability. Its security provisions are intended to protect personal, operational and commercially sensitive information.

Digital Dubai has brought private-sector organisations into shared service initiatives as part of its goal of making the city’s digital environment more connected. The approach seeks to establish common technical standards and reduce the cost and complexity created when organisations build parallel systems for similar functions.