By: Prof. Khalid Wasif Al-Wazani
Jordan Daily – “Zero Bureaucracy” is a concept that is emerging today to keep pace with the rapid transformations brought about by the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions—both driven by the power of big data—paving the way for governments to become more efficient, agile, and digitally driven.
Although the term itself is relatively recent, only gaining prominence in the past decade, its intellectual roots go back many decades to foundational critiques of bureaucratic systems by scholars such as Max Weber, who developed the classical model of bureaucracy, and Peter Drucker, the leading advocate for process simplification and reengineering.
Governments around the world have increasingly recognized the negative impact of administrative complexity and institutional rigidity on service quality, customer satisfaction, foreign investment attraction, and even domestic investment retention. In response, the concept of Zero Bureaucracy has become a natural outcome of the shift towards Agile Government—governments that enhance their role and performance through digital transformation and agile governance. These efforts have led to the elimination of redundant administrative procedures, saving both time and cost, while preserving institutional integrity, regulatory quality, and service excellence.
The term was formally adopted in several international experiences beginning in 2015. Countries like the Netherlands and Denmark pioneered its application through national programs designed to comprehensively review laws and procedures, under initiatives labeled as “Red Tape Reduction”. These reforms emphasized delegation of authority, integration of smart technologies, and full digitalization of government operations using national data platforms.
In the Arab world, however, the United Arab Emirates stands out as the pioneering country to not only adopt but also develop and institutionalize the concept of Zero Bureaucracy. Through a strategic national vision for smart government transformation, the UAE moved swiftly to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens and streamline service delivery by removing paperwork, in-person visits, and conflicting interests. The user journey was redesigned to ensure seamless, transparent, and efficient service provision.
Notably, the UAE government completed the first phase of its Zero Bureaucracy Program within a one year, engaging 30 government entities and 690 task forces. The tangible outcomes included a 70% reduction in service completion time, elimination of over 4,000 redundant procedures, and saving more than 12 million hours for users in terms of time and cost. The second phase, recently announced, ventures into the realm of Digital Zero Bureaucracy, aiming to provide services without complications or delays—thus fundamentally improving quality of life.
Consequently, no wonder that the UAE has secured nearly 40% of total foreign direct investment inflows to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, ranking among the top ten global destinations for real investment.
Ultimately, Zero Bureaucracy does not imply the absence of regulation or oversight. Rather, it signifies a transformation from heavy, paper-based government systems to intelligent, agile, and outcome-focused public administration.
In light of growing global challenges, this concept has evolved into a foundational pillar of the governments of the future. It is a genuine methodology aimed at eradicating the malignant tumor of government inefficiency—fueled by paper-based legacy systems, outdated regulations, passive employees, and flabby managers or officials who benefit from bureaucratic stagnation and poor performance.
Khalid Al Wazani is Professor of Economics & Public policy at Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), he holds over 33 years of active participation in academic, public service, government, and private sector positions. He can be reach at khwazani@gmail.com