Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development said customers can now access all its services digitally through the Abu Dhabi government's Tamm portal as the emirate continues to digitalise government services. The fund's services on the Tamm platform include loan disbursement requests, funding requests, training services, membership applications, training, mentorship services, counselling services and requests for support letters, it said in a statement on Thursday. "Khalifa Fund remains committed to integrating innovation into the organisation’s functionality," Mouza Al Nasri, acting chief executive of Khalifa Fund, said. The UAE is pushing to digitalise government services to ensure easier access, more efficiency and greater convenience for investors, residents and citizens. Nearly 54 per cent of UAE residents expect Covid-19 to accelerate the development of smart cities, according to a joint <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/54-of-uae-residents-expect-covid-19-to-accelerate-smart-cities-development-1.1177046">report</a> by Mastercard, Smart Dubai and Expo 2020. Environmentally friendly business practices, paperless government services and fast, affordable, city-wide internet connectivity are some of the features residents expect from a smart city, the report said. Ms Al Nasri said following its integration with Tamm, Khalifa Fund has managed to save its customers from making over 2,500 physical visits to its offices and saved 52 working days of government employees. "This transformation will also contribute positively towards a more environmentally friendly practice, as it dramatically decreases our CO2 emissions by over 18 tonnes, and has significantly reduced Khalifa Fund’s paper trail," she said. Khalifa Fund's migration further strengthens efforts aimed at enabling Abu Dhabi government entities to rely on the fully-integrated Tamm platform, which is equipped with the latest technology and digital solutions, said Mohamed Al Askar, director-general of Abu Dhabi Digital Authority. The platform provides services in line with the Abu Dhabi government's goals of accelerate its digital transformation, he said. Abu Dhabi and Dubai led the Middle East region for the second consecutive year in a global ranking of smart cities – outpacing advanced urban hubs such as Tokyo and Beijing. The UAE capital jumped 14 spots to rank 42nd among 109 cities in the 2020 Smart City Index by The Institute for Management Development, just ahead of Dubai, which climbed two positions to 43, according to the Swiss academic institute. Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the pace of digitisation over the past year as businesses and governments scrambled to maintain business continuity amid movement restrictions.