How might we facilitate anyone seeking to register, witness or amend a Will by verifying themselves digitally and accurately anywhere in the world? 

Overview

At the DIFC Courts, an increasing number of court proceedings are held virtually through videoconferencing or teleconferencing, allowing certain services to be accessed by individuals virtually anywhere in the world.

The “wills” group of services allows individuals to remotely register, amend or witness a will. At present, the process is limited in terms of how the identity of individuals is verified remotely. This is further influenced by poor internet connections and the current method of communications during such proceedings. 

Within this context, there is a potential risk of people being falsely represented as the identity of someone they are not. While this issue has not yet been faced by the Courts, potential fraud may result in significant financial and reputational damage to individuals and the Courts.

As a part of an ongoing effort to increase the quality of service and future-proof court proceedings, DIFC Courts is looking for a solution provider to propose a virtual identity recognition solution that can be embedded seamlessly into the Courts processes and customer journey.

This solution will be piloted first with the “wills” service area, as this can be completed fully remotely. Beyond this, DIFC Courts have the ambition to embed this solution into wider areas in an ongoing effort to continually optimise the services that they provide.

What are the problems to solve?

• No formal way of verifying the identity of an individual based on the information they provide when filing a claim or before the hearing or registering a Will 

• Poor internet connections on virtual hearings and virtual registration appointments makes it difficult to cross identify the individual 

• There is a risk to the reputation of DIFC Courts should there be any fraud 

Who is most affected by these problems?

Individuals who want to: 

• Register a Will 
• Amend a Will 
• Witness a Will 

Background context: 

• People anywhere in the world 
• People with limited technology knowledge and connectivity 

Solution Guiding Principles

• Lean & Agile
• Future Focused
• Human Centric
• Accessibility
• Optimised Interactions 

Why is this important?

• DIFC Courts wishes to be confident in the verification of individuals and that they are delivering high quality services to anyone in the world 

• This is a part of continued efforts to invest in assets and technologies that help to future proof services and operations 

• The optimisation of DIFC Courts services supports the growing status of Dubai as an international business hub

Vision

• To integrate a technical solution that will help to optimise the DIFC Courts services so that they can be accessed virtually by anyone, no matter where they are located 

• DIFC Courts longer-term vision is to adopt optimised ID verification processes across a range of court services as part the future product, service and operational roadmap 

Want to learn more about the challenge? Watch the Challenge webinar with DIFC Courts

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Program timeline 

The 6-week program is structured into 2 phases:

Phase 1: A 2-week virtual program beginning end of November, where shortlisted companies will work closely with the DIFC Courts to understand their challenge and propose a solution. Phase 1 will conclude with a pitching competition and 1 company per challenge will progress onto Phase 2 in Dubai (Q1, 2022).

Phase 2: Successful companies join a 4-week in-residence program in Dubai in Q1, 2022 where they will execute a proof of concept (PoC) of their proposed solution.

Program benefits include

• Potential partnerships with top level stakeholders in UAE
• Direct access to key decision makers in government and private sector partners
• Dubai Future Foundation takes zero equity in your business​
• Roundtrip airfare to Dubai and paid accommodation for Phase 2 (in-residence) participants​
• Opportunity to to be nominated to apply for the Golden Visa
• Opportunity to be connected with regional investors
• Accelerated process for company setup and formation in Dubai (provided matching business activities)
• State of the art creative workspace and access to prototyping equipment​
• Opportunity to join the most vibrant ecosystem in the region

Application deadline

Submission of application | November 21st, 12.00AM GMT+4

Meet the stakeholder

Who is DIFC Courts:

The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) is a financial free-zone that offers a unique regulatory framework in order to create an environment for growth, progress, and economic development in the UAE and the wider region.

The DIFC Courts is a dynamic young judiciary with a focus on excellence and technology, and administers a unique English-language common law system for commercial and civil cases. As an opt-in court, DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction extends past the DIFC and can hear any civil or commercial case in which both parties select the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction.