Building API-First Applications Using the UAE Design System
In the digital transformation of government services, an API-first approach is essential for creating scalable, secure, and flexible applications. When paired with the UAE Design System, this architectural pattern allows development teams to build interfaces that are consistent in appearance and accessible across channels — while keeping the underlying data and business logic cleanly separated.
This guide outlines why an API-first methodology matters and how developers working on UAE government services can adopt this model using modern frontend frameworks while maintaining strict adherence to the UAE Design System.
API in UAE Government entities
An API-oriented architectural approach facilitates industrywide innovation and increases business agility. With the use of APIs, UAE Government entities intend to expand old systems or applications and create new ones with minimal overhead and investment, to enable innovation and enhance the overall public value.
Realising the importance of APIs and the benefit they can bring to society, the UAE Government aims to adopt an API-first approach for its digital transformation initiatives. It designed the API First Guidelines (PDF, 600 KB) to provide guidance to UAE Government entities and vendors.
Other important links
API First Policy
Outlines the UAE Government's vision for adopting API-first practices in digital development initiatives.
What is an API?
A Gartner glossary resource explaining APIs and their key role in enterprise digital ecosystems.
UAE API Guidelines (PDF)
Download the official PDF outlining API integration and development standards for UAE Government platforms.
Purpose of this guide
This guideline is not intended to show how to develop API’s. The purpose of this guide is to highlight the separation of data and presentation as a layer, and how to utilise the UAE Design System on the presentation layer.
You can learn more about developing API-first services at the TDRA Academy: API First at TDRA's Virtual Academy.
Why API-First Matters
An API-first approach prioritises designing and building RESTful or GraphQL APIs before any user interface is developed. This shift ensures that:
- Data and presentation layers are decoupled for better maintainability.
- Multiple clients (web, mobile, kiosk, voice) can consume the same data source.
- Security and access control are centralised and easier to manage.
- Development teams can parallelise workstreams, accelerating delivery.
This is especially valuable in the UAE public sector where digital services often span multiple platforms and user groups.
Key Principles of Developers Working on Government Projects
Design, build, and deliver digital services with consistency, security, and scalability across the UAE government ecosystem.
Presentation & Data Separation
- Use React, Vue, or Svelte to decouple frontends from APIs.
- Handle API responses and state separately from UI rendering.
- Keep business logic out of templates.
UAE Design System Compliance
- Use approved component libraries for layout and interactions.
- Extend the system responsibly when creating custom elements.
- Enforce RTL and bilingual support at component level.
Secure & Performant APIs
- Never expose credentials or embed logic in the frontend.
- Use OAuth2, tokens, and strict CORS policies.
- Implement caching and loading states to improve UX.
Schema-Driven Design
- Define contracts using OpenAPI, JSON Schema, or GraphQL SDL.
- Validate API responses on the frontend to prevent render errors.
Enable Future Extensibility
- Design reusable components to consume government APIs.
- Abstract logic for framework-agnostic upgrades and flexibility.
- Support shared frontend platforms across departments.
Structured APIs and Clarity in Presentation
A well-structured API layer not only simplifies development but brings consistency to how data is accessed, validated, and rendered across government services. When the presentation layer is clearly separated from the data layer, each part can evolve independently — frontend teams can update UI components without affecting data logic, and APIs can mature without risking visual regressions.
For public users interacting with different government websites, this consistency ensures that content behaves and appears reliably regardless of where it is accessed. The combination of structured APIs and a unified design system results in digital services that are coherent, intuitive, and trustworthy across all government platforms.
Key Developer Guidelines
Separation of Concerns
Design and build RESTful or GraphQL APIs as standalone services, independent of any frontend framework.
Client-Side Consumption
Use frontend libraries such as Axios or Fetch API in frameworks like React or Vue to consume these APIs.
Modular Logic
Centralise API interaction logic within dedicated service modules (e.g., services/api.js) and manage data using state management tools like Redux, Pinia, or React Context.
UI Independence
Keep UI components focused solely on presentation, receiving data via props or hooks.
Cross-Device Benefits of API-First Design
In an ecosystem where users access services via phones, tablets, kiosks, and desktops, an API-first approach enables true platform agnosticism. Once a service’s data is exposed through a secure, well-documented API, it can be consumed by any frontend tailored to the needs of the device.
This allows designers and developers to build channel-specific UIs using the UAE Design System — whether optimised for mobile touch, large desktop screens, or voice-assisted browsing — all while consuming the same reliable data source.
It reduces duplication, simplifies updates, and ensures a unified citizen experience across digital touchpoints.
Developers building digital services for the UAE government must think beyond visual implementation. Adopting an API-first approach ensures that services are adaptable, secure, and aligned with long-term digital strategies. When coupled with the UAE Design System, this architecture ensures user interfaces that are consistent, accessible, and ready to evolve.
