Open Data: A Paradigm Shift in the Heart of Government

In today's global economy, governments are coming to comprehend new realities and adopt new approaches to cope with the paradigm shift in citizens' relations. Among the different trends in recent years is the concept of open data where it requires governments placing more data for public consumption. The use and reuse of open data is argued to contribute to enormous potential for economies and citizens welfare. This article attempts to explore and provide a short overview of the concept of open data and its current applications. The primary contribution of the article is the presentation of a case study of how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government envisages using open data to develop decision support models to improve public service delivery and primarily citizens’ quality of life. The presented approach aims to promote discussion among policy and decision-makers and fuel debate and knowledge development in this critical and evolving field of practice.