The Arab Social Media Report in January 2011 showed that over 21 million Facebook users are in the UAE, 45 per cent of the total population; more than half of which are 15 to 29-year olds.

“The fact that some 45 per cent of the UAE population are on Facebook has made it wise and farsighted of the UAE Government to build its profile and presence on the social media,” Salem Khamis Al Shair, Director General of UAE eGovernment said in an official statement.

The director explained that social media is a valuable communication and eParticipation tool, but it is also very important to know how to use these media smartly and prudently to achieve the desired organisational objectives.

“This is an age where social etiquettes, courtesies, protocols and disclaimers extend to digital interaction. Hence, it becomes particularly imperative for government entities to follow these codes of conduct.”

The Emirates eGovernment, in collaboration with the Dubai School of Government, UAE Government entities, information technology research firm Gartner Inc, and United Nations eGovernment Programme, has developed guidelines for social media usage in the UAE government entities to deal with these set of rules.

Al Shair also said each government entity should form a social media unit to develop relevant indicators to measure the impact of engaging with the public through social media tools and receive educational and awareness-raising programmes with regard to their understanding of social media tools.

The guidelines, available on the Emirates eGovernment portal, warn of possible threats and challenges the social media tools could pose including negatively affecting employee productivity and security risks such as spear phishing, possible introduction of malware, viruses and security breaching. It also outlines qualifications of the employee/s managing the social media accounts and his/their conduct on social media to be professional and reasonable.