Dubai: Social media channels are a key factor in improving the overall connectivity and interaction between governments and their people, speakers at the GCC Government Social Media Summit yesterday said.
Pointing out that studies around the world have shown a decline in people’s trust in their governments worldwide, Dr Yasar Jarrar, a UAE Government expert, led a panel discussion on the need for governments to reach their citizens through social networks.
Held under the theme of “Innovative social networks for effective collaboration and smart governance”, the third GCC Government Social Media Summit 2014 kicked off on September 17 in Dubai’s Sofitel Downtown Hotel.
Elizabeth Linder, Politics and Government Specialist at Facebook in the UK, discussed how social media is enhancing people’s trust in government departments.
“A study conducted in the UK showed that today people trust police updates posted on Facebook and social media more than the information the police shares on TV and other traditional media outlets,” said Linder.
“In fact, information shared on social media channels is even more trusted than the complaints residents register on the phone,” she added.
Statistics from Facebook’s Dubai offices, which are in charge of the Middle East and North Africa region, show that there were 71 million monthly active users in the second quarter of this year. “That’s a 14.5 per cent increase in the last six months,” said Linder.
In reference to the statistics, she highlighted that just last week, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, received over 2.1 million likes on his status update.
“The human interface and personal connection elements of social media networks facilitate more conversations and allow people to build greater levels of trust,” she said.
LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking service, is another tool that is used by government institutions to enhance public engagement and interactivity.
Rajai Al Khadem, Government Affairs Manager at LinkedIn UAE, said that the network encourages government departments to have their own pages on the site in order to easily communicate with people with different experiences. Such pages will create economic opportunities and facilitate employment possibilities in the public sector, he explained. Along with importing talent, the site can also be used as an open platform for governments to identify employment patterns and issues.
Al Khadem highlighted that the site, which is used for professional networking, is still in a growth phase.
“Users on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram often use their social identity, now many people are opting for a professional identity — especially in this region,” said Al Khadem.
The two-day conference will include more than 250 regional and international communications and social media experts, decision makers and executives. The summit will also feature six industry-specific workshops, customised to help delegates from various sectors such as government, health care, defence, tourism, foreign affairs and education to better understand the needs of their particular audience groups.
