His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, personally praised the performance of Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Wednesday.
In his post, Sheikh Mohammed said that over the last 30 years, Dubai has established a culture of open doors for people through government development, “a culture where no barriers exist between us and the people we serve”. Sheikh Mohammed added that Dubai’s global reputation today reflects its commitment to excellence and its open, human-centered working environment.
Commenting on Al Marri’s exceptional performance, the Ruler of Dubai said: “I hear good news about him in terms of receiving visitors and completing humanitarian and exceptional transactions.” Sheikh Mohammed praised Al Marri’s constant presence among the public and his steadfast commitment to maintaining an open-door policy.
الإخوة والأخوات …
رسخنا عبر 30 عاماً من رحلة التطوير الحكومي ثقافة الأبواب المفتوحة للناس .. بل ثقافة عدم وجود أبواب أمام الناس … وسمعة دبي العالمية اليوم هي نتيجة طبيعية لخدماتها السريعة .. وبيئة عملها المفتوحة التي تهتم بالإنسان ..الأخ محمد المري مدير عام إقامة دبي تصلني…
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) December 4, 2024
“However, on the same day, I received concerning reports about three directors-general in Dubai. These individuals have created large offices for themselves, stationed managers, secretaries, and security guards at their doors, and restricted access to the public on the pretext that the government is now ‘smart’, relying on digital transactions and websites to address people’s needs,” added Sheikh Mohammed.
Sheikh Mohammed added that he instructed Dubai’s mystery shopper team to report to him personally on the performance of all departments, sharing some advice: “My message is clear: The foundation of our success lies in serving people, simplifying their lives, and maintaining direct and constant communication with them. These principles are the essence of our government and will never change. For those who are not aligned with these values — we will take action to correct course.”
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Who are secret shoppers?
Secret shoppers are often used to test the quality of services by sending undercover staff to pose as customers and experience first-hand what the public encounters. Sheikh Mohammed frequently sends secret shoppers to government offices to test services.
In 2020, Sheikh Mohammed launched an eight-language ‘Mystery Shopper’ application to enhance the role of customers and measure the performance of government entities and the efficiency of the services they provide. The application is the first nationwide smart platform in the world accessible by every resident of the country. It seeks to facilitate the evaluation of government services, making each individual a mystery shopper.
Commenting on the launch, His Highness said: “More than 30 years ago, we launched the mystery shopper program and now that direction has become a comprehensive approach and one of the most important tools in improving government services today.”
