In his speech Sheikh Mohammed described the e-government office as a 'government expertise house' and said: 'The success achieved tonight is good. But I want to see e-life imbued in all that the government does. Not only should government departments provide services through the Internet to the public, but should use it themselves and among themselves.'

He added: 'All this requires the founding of a central e-government office, which will liaise between various departments, help and support them change to an e-lifestyle, provide training and monitor their progress. Today, I announce that this e-government office will be located at Dubai Internet City, and will be directly supervised by the Ruler's Court.'

The portal, www.dubai.ae, enables all the services on offer from the 24 local government departments to be available 24 hours a day; transactions can be completed from anywhere in the world.

The website is divided into four sections: Online Services, which allows residents and visitors easy access to government departments and services; Living in Dubai, which enables residents to transact and communicate with government departments; Visiting Dubai, carries updated information on activities in Dubai; and Dubai Business, which provides information on business and facilities for investors, traders and companies.

Sheikh Mohammed claimed that the new website will propel Dubai and the UAE forward in the competitive global e-commerce race. 'It will ease the lives of people and business interacting with the Government and contribute in establishing Dubai as a leading economic hub ... the launch of the e-government service is a historic and good step, but it is a first step of many to come. We look forward to the future with confidence,' he said.