Abu Dhabi AI super app Tamm eyes global expansion

Abu Dhabi AI super app Tamm eyes global expansion

Tech in Asia·2025-05-25 11:00

Tamm, Abu Dhabi’s AI-powered super app, plans to expand its services globally, according to Dr. Mohamed Al Askar, director general of the app.

Developed by the Department of Government Enablement, Tamm offers access to over 1,000 government and private services, such as car registration renewals, utility payments, and certificate attestations.

It currently serves 3.2 million residents, citizens, and businesses, handling more than 12.7 million transactions annually.

Launched in October 2024, Tamm’s AI assistant has resolved 77% of user requests instantly and reached a 92% customer satisfaction rate as of April 2025.

The app features tools like “snap and report,” letting users upload photos to report issues like potholes or broken traffic lights.

.source-ref{font-size:0.85em;color:#666;display:block;margin-top:1em;}a.ask-tia-citation-link:hover{color:#11628d !important;background:#e9f6f5 !important;border-color:#11628d !important;text-decoration:none !important;}@media only screen and (min-width:768px){a.ask-tia-citation-link{font-size:11px !important;}}

🔗 Source: The National

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ UAE leads in comprehensive digital governance while other nations rely on fragmented solutions

The Tamm super app represents a fundamentally different approach to digital government compared to the fragmented solutions seen in most countries.

While nations like the US, UK, and Canada typically develop separate apps for specific services (like Arkansas’s Gov2Go for tax payments or British Columbia’s DriveBC for road conditions), the UAE has successfully integrated over 1,000 services into a single platform 1.

This comprehensive approach helps explain why the UAE ranks third globally for digital government services, with citizen satisfaction scores of 79%, significantly outperforming many Western nations 2.

The adoption statistics further demonstrate this success: 62% of UAE residents use digital government services weekly, compared to a global average of just 49%, indicating higher engagement with the unified platform approach 1.

The Middle East’s governance digitalization reflects a broader regional pattern, with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain all ranking high in the UN’s E-Government Development Index, showing strong strategic commitment to digital transformation 3.

2️⃣ AI integration represents the next evolution in government service delivery

Tamm’s AI assistant that handles 77% of requests instantly illustrates how artificial intelligence is transforming citizen-government interactions beyond basic automation.

This contrasts with earlier government digital tools like those highlighted in a 2017 Guardian report, which focused primarily on information delivery rather than intelligent interaction 4.

The evolution toward AI-powered services reflects a significant efficiency opportunity—research indicates AI implementation in government services can improve service delivery and reduce processing times significantly 5.

Real-world examples demonstrate the tangible benefits: in one documented case, AI reduced government service processing times from 40 days to just 18 days, showcasing the potential productivity gains from intelligent automation 6.

The push toward AI integration in government services isn’t without challenges, however, as research shows public concerns about data privacy persist, particularly regarding AI technologies, creating a critical balance between innovation and trust 2.

3️⃣ Citizen expectations for government services are increasingly shaped by private sector digital experiences

The high adoption rates of Tamm reflect a broader trend of rising citizen expectations, with users increasingly demanding government services that match their experiences with leading private companies.

BCG research reveals that users now expect sophisticated features like auto-filled forms and personalized recommendations in government platforms, expectations shaped by their interactions with commercial digital services 1.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, as pandemic-related digital services established new benchmarks for speed and functionality that citizens now expect across all government offerings 1.

The demographic composition of regions like the UAE, where a significant portion of the population is under 25, further drives demand for high-quality digital services as younger citizens have higher digital expectations 2.

Despite technological advances, trust remains a fundamental factor in adoption—global data shows only 35% of the UK population trusts the government, highlighting why successful digital initiatives must prioritize transparency and security alongside innovation 7.

……

Read full article on Tech in Asia

Government Technology