Federal National Council Elections Kick Off Tomorrow with a Virtual Twist and a Metaverse Campaign

The National Elections Committee has announced the voting process for the 2023 Federal National Council Elections in the United Arab Emirates.

The voting will take place over several days, starting with early voting on October 4th and 5th, followed by online voting on October 6th, and the main election day on October 7th.

The Committee has assured that all election centers and the digital infrastructure for the voting system are fully prepared to facilitate a smooth and accessible voting experience for all eligible voters. This ensures that citizens can exercise their electoral rights and participate in choosing their representatives in the Council with ease.

In this context, Aisha Ahmed Obaid Al-Hamouf Al-Shamsi, a candidate from the Emirate of Sharjah, has made her campaign program available at her campaign headquarters in the Metaverse, outlining the following key points:

• Citizen Priority
• Sustainable Education Development
• Metafars and Digital Life
• Climate Change Preparedness
• Empowering the Future Generation with a Strong National Identity and Heritage
• Supporting Entrepreneurship and Global Expansion of Local Businesses

It is worth noting that the Committee has highlighted that the voting systems in this election are designed to be easy, efficient, and meet the highest standards of speed and accuracy. Voters will only need a minute of their time to cast their ballots.

The voting process will be conducted through a hybrid system, combining electronic voting at polling centers and remote voting via the internet. Early voting will be open to all voters from October 4th to 5th, both within and outside the UAE, in addition to electronic voting at nine polling centers across the country.

Remote voting will be available 24 hours a day, starting from 9 AM on Wednesday, October 4th, until 8 PM on Saturday, October 7th, UAE time. Early voting at polling centers will also take place on October 4th and 5th.

Previously, the National Elections Committee, in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications Office, issued policies and guidelines for candidates' use of artificial intelligence in their election campaigns.

This demonstrates the Committee's readiness to execute the 2023 elections optimally, enhancing precision, transparency, and overall electoral participation in the country by simplifying and accelerating the entire electoral process through the use of cutting-edge smart programs and systems to align with the digital transformation in the UAE.

Regarding the Metaverse, approximately a month ago, the UAE's Public Prosecution organized a global summit to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to governing Metaverse and emerging technologies to combat virtual world crimes and enhance international legal frameworks to address them.

This summit, the first of its kind, represented the largest international gathering of experts and specialists concerned with Metaverse governance and emerging technologies, in addition to legal, judicial, and regulatory aspects in the Metaverse world, artificial intelligence technologies, cybersecurity, virtual assets, digital currencies, blockchain technology, and investigations.

The summit delved into the rapid transformations occurring in the next generation of the internet and communications and the available opportunities to leverage these revolutionary technologies in various vital sectors to ensure a better future for communities and improve their quality of life on a global scale.