Al-Mawardi’s Wazarah and United Arab Emirates E-Government: A Comparative Governance Analysis
Abstract
The rapid expansion of e-government in the United Arab Emirates has raised questions about whether digital public administration is solely a technological achievement or also reflects enduring ethical principles. This study examines the relevance of Imam Al-Mawardi's theory of wazarah to the United Arab Emirates' contemporary e-government system. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach with comparative analysis, the study analyzes primary sources, including Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah and official United Arab Emirates policy documents, supported by secondary literature on Islamic governance and digital public administration. Data were analyzed through reduction, categorization, display, and interpretation, with source triangulation to enhance credibility. The findings show that the Emirati digital governance model reflects Al-Mawardi's administrative principles by operationalizing kifayah through AI-based performance evaluation, amanah through blockchain-enabled transparency, syura through the 01 Gov consultation platform, keadilan through the Smart Judicial System, and maslahah through integrated public services provided by UAE Pass and TAMM Abu Dhabi. The study concludes that Al-Mawardi's governance framework remains relevant in the digital era, demonstrating that sustainable digital governance requires the integration of technological efficiency with ethical accountability. These findings offer an alternative conceptual framework for Muslim-majority countries pursuing digital transformation while preserving Islamic governance values.
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