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The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority migrated the UAEPASS Digital Vault to a dedicated Avalanche layer-1 blockchain, according to an announcement from Avalanche and partner Deca4 on September 14, 2026. The move involves collaboration with Ava Labs to provide infrastructure and technical support while Deca4 leads implementation and coordinates with the authority. This upgrade targets the document layer of the UAE’s national digital identity platform, enabling secure issuance, storage and verification of official records without exposing sensitive data directly on the chain. The authority oversees the entire ecosystem, retaining full control over access rules, membership and network parameters as part of the sovereign design.
UAEPASS serves 12.5 million citizens, residents and visitors while connecting them to more than 15,000 services across over 350 government and private entities, TDRA figures show. The Digital Vault component allows users to request, hold and share verified documents such as trade licenses, academic degrees and address proofs that institutions accept as originals. Avalanche’s assessment noted that the dedicated layer-1 isolates UAE traffic to deliver predictable performance rather than competing for blockspace on a public network subject to external congestion. The platform previously relied on blockchain technology through enterprise systems before the transition to Avalanche’s smart-contract-enabled layer-1.
A government cannot outsource accountability for a system 12.5 million people depend on, Avalanche assessed in its evaluation of the architecture. The design ensures the authority sets the terms for infrastructure operation while cryptographic proofs confirm document authenticity and detect tampering. Implementation focuses on automating verification processes that once required manual audits by individual entities, according to details released by Ava Labs. This structure aligns with requirements for real-world government systems that must deliver reliable performance at national scale without requiring end users to interact directly with blockchain interfaces.
Saeed Belhoul, director of digital government operations at the authority, stated that the UAEPASS Digital Vault has become part of daily life for millions of people in the UAE. Upgrading the Digital Vault ensures the platform is built on infrastructure that can carry that responsibility for years to come, Belhoul added in remarks carried by Avalanche. The authority’s own digital government portal lists more than 11 million registered users alongside 363 service providers and 1,028 digital channels, reflecting growth that prompted the performance-focused migration. Gulf News reported in September 2025 that the platform had already recorded more than 2.6 billion digital transactions and 600 million logins at that time.
The UAE has positioned digital identity as a cornerstone of its broader digital transformation strategy, with UAEPASS functioning as a single sign-on gateway since its expansion in recent years. Central Bank of the UAE directives from 2019 treated vault documents as equivalent to physical originals for licensed financial institutions, while a 2021 Prime Minister’s Office mandate required federal and local entities to accept them, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Observatory of Public Sector Innovation. The Avalanche deployment builds on this foundation by preparing the system for continued expansion in verifiable credentials and digital services. Similar government-scale adoptions include the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ plan to digitize 42 million vehicle titles on Avalanche to accelerate transfers, a comparison highlighted in Avalanche’s reporting on the UAE project.
Deca4 will handle coordination with the authority throughout the transition while Ava Labs supplies the underlying Avalanche infrastructure, the joint announcement stated. The dedicated layer-1 approach grants the UAE complete authority over governance without reliance on shared public resources, reinforcing national oversight of critical identity data. This partnership reflects Avalanche’s focus on institutional use cases in the Middle East, where the network has previously supported initiatives in Abu Dhabi’s financial hub. The upgrade is expected to reduce friction in document handling while preserving the cryptographic security that underpins user trust across public and private sector integrations.
