The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) held a workshop in Dubai for Middle East and Africa on Globalization of Trust Services, in cooperation with The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), with the participation of representatives of government entities and specialized regulatory bodies from Africa, Middle East and Europe.

‘The Middle East and Africa workshop on Globalization of Trust Services’ discussed reaching a mutual understanding of Trust Services in general and digital signature service in particular, as different regions use different schemes. This aims to enhance the global trading environment and international transactions on a global scale.

In his opening speech, H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, Deputy Director General of Telecommunication sector in the TRA, welcomed the audience to the UAE, he said: “This is an ideal opportunity to work in a team spirit and come up with a clear vision of the concept of e-trust, which contributes to the development of e-transformation and e-commerce in our countries. It has become clear to all that the digital signature has become an integral part of digital transformation and e-transactions, and therefore we need to have a common understanding of how to deal legally with this matter in order to reach a sustainable and globally acceptable vision."

H.E. Al Mesmar indicated to the country’s appreciation of the progress achieved by the EU countries in this field. He said: “The UAE’s interest in this field is in line with the country’s ambitious plans to achieve an overall digital transformation by adopting latest technologies to reach the ultimate goal of spreading happiness and improving wellbeing in our community. Today we are working to achieve this goal supported by our wise leadership, and based on the strategic plans in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, the Fourth Industrial Revolutions, the Blockchain, 3D printing, unmanned aerial vehicles, and others.”

During the workshop, the participants discussed ways of enhancing regional and international cooperation in certification and digital signature, reaching results that meet the interests of different parties and a mutual understanding on how to achieve global acceptance of digital signatures through all efforts and open channels of cooperation and partnership between the public and private sectors.

The participants also discussed the expected benefits of the digital signature acceptance regionally and globally, the challenges of the process from operational and legal perspectives, and the best ways to overcome these challenges. ETSI experts presented the latest EU standards for Trust Services and how it could enhance global acceptance in a globalised market of trust services-based electronic transactions.

The workshop provided Middle Eastern and African representatives with an opportunity to present their views on the international recognition of national / regional digital signature-based trust services schemes in a globalised market of trust services-based electronic transactions.

TRA has signed a number of MoUs with public and private entities, aiming to enhance strategic relations with the public and private sectors and academic institutions. The purpose is to accelerate the implementation of national digital infrastructure plans and provide opportunities for citizens and residents in the country to benefit from unique educational and professional careers in digital functions such as data science, IoT, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.