arabot introduces 4IR technology to UAE Ministry of Community Development via AI-based chatbot

arabot, the pioneering regional platform for intelligent Arabic and English bots, has collaborated with the UAE’s Ministry of Community Development (MoCD) to produce a cutting-edge chatbot to enhance customer experience and improve operational efficiency within the Ministry.

With the impact of smart technology changing the way 21st-centurygovernments function, particularlyhowthey interact with the general population, this new initiative is part of MoCD’s drive to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technology into its services. The adoption of this intelligent technology is in line with UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031’s goals for a smarter, more efficient future, while supporting UAE Vision 2021 to strengthen societal and family coherence within the country and elevate overall happiness levels, a key part of the Happiness Agenda by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which has prioritised happiness as a primary objective within the UAE’s smart transformation.By embedding the chatbot into MoCD’s services, arabot aims to fulfilthe needs of UAE citizens more effectively, transforming the way they live, work and interact, as well as streamlining the Ministry’s internal procedures for maximum efficiency.

Launched at Gitex Dubai in October 2018, arabot’sintelligent technology is transforming the way MoCD engages with both citizens and staff – automating and improving users’ experiences, reducing processing times and drastically cutting operational costs within the organisation. The state-of-the-art, dual-language chatbot communicates with users in both English and Arabicand has been developed by arabot to feature deep machine learning for Natural Language Processing (NLP), enabling it to differentiate between classical Arabic and local dialects to communicate more effectively and respond in the most naturalistic, emotionally engaging way. 

arabot’sintelligent learning system ensures that the chatbot assimilates and grows through human experience. With a greatly-reduced error margin compared with traditional customer service methods, arabot has integrated the chatbot with MoCD’s back-end systems to handle general inquiries and provide detailed information about the organisationand its services, as well as a range of transactional services. Users have instant, 24/7 access to MoCD’s services through the chatbot, which operates across customers’ preferred communication channels, such as Facebook Messenger, MoCD’s website and WhatsApp (which will roll out with Phase 2 of the project in Q2 2019). Since its launch, the arabot MoCD chatbot has handled more than 100,000 enquiriesfrom over 6,000 customers. As Phase 2 rolls out, this figure is forecast to double by end of 2019.

The new chatbot has also opened up time and cost savings within MoCD. Historically, application submissions have created a bottleneck within the organisation’spublic-facing services. With the initiation phase now automated by arabot, trained staff have more time and resources to process and finalisethese applications faster and more efficiently. By using the chatbot, MoCD aims to lower marginal costs to zero, while providing a world-class service to customers. Over the next 12 months, the Ministry has set a target to cut the overall processing time of all services by between 30 and 50 percent. arabot has also streamlined MoCD’s internal procedures, automating some HR functions, such as policies and procedural FAQs, enabling staff to dedicate less time to admin and more time to their day-to-day workflow. 

arabot’s detailed analytics are enabling MoCD to better understandand service both its clientele and staff. It collates a comprehensive profile on citizens’ behaviour, demographics, andemerging trends,while presenting real-time insights that support and drive decision-making within the organisation. arabot’s intelligent system also enables MoCD to create a truly personalisedand proactive service for citizens by making recommendations based on their ownactions and choices. 

“arabot is very proud to have joined forces with the UAE Ministry of Community Development, a partnership which harnesses the immense potential of AI technology to create a smarter, happier and more efficient nation,” says Abdallah Faza, arabot Co-Founder and CEO. “By pioneering this unique, intelligent chatbot system with MoCD, we are setting a new standard in citizen-focused experiences that others will follow. We are changing the way the public sector communicates with its consumers and are streamlining processes to ensure maximum efficiency across every level of the organisation.”

“Developing the MoCD chatbot with arabot is part of our ongoing strategy to transform the Ministry into a smart, proactive and future-facing entity,” says Saeed Abdulla, Information Technology Consultant for the UAE Ministry of Community Development. “As an instant and easy-to-use communication tool between our services and the UAE’s citizens, the chatbot not only enables us to improve our productivity and efficiency levels within our organisation, it also improves customer satisfaction through immediateresponse and personalisedexperience.”

Since its launch in 2016, arabot has been at the forefront of chatbot technology in the Middle East, working with a range of major public and private entities to help them transform their customer experience. These include the development of a region-wide chatbot for logistics firm Aramex, an omnichannel, e-gov transactional chatbot platform for Jordan’s Ministry of Justice, and a virtual interface for Public Prosecution, UAE.