His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has affirmed that over the course of the last 17 years, numerous changes and accomplishments have taken place to bolster the national economy and advance services. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who assumed control of both the UAE Cabinet and Federal Government in 2006, affirmed that the UAE will persist on its unwavering path of development, led by President H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life for its people.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, “Seventeen years have passed quickly and beautifully and were full of work and achievements. We introduced essential changes to the UAE government’s performance and developed services.”
His Highness added, “Ten thousand decisions in 440 meetings. Over 4,200 legislation in all sectors. We shifted from a traditional government to a new government providing over 1,500 smart services”.
“We fought administrative and financial slowness, increased the government budget by more than 140 percent, and became the most effective government in public spending in the world.”
“We launched 330 government policies and initiatives to develop the economic environment and signed about 600 international agreements. Our foreign trade jumped from AED 415B to AED 2,200B, and the GDP doubled to reach AED 1,800B in the same period, the UAE is the first in the region to attract investments with a value of AED 734B.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE ranked first in more than 186 global indices and over 430 regional indices, in addition to its highest sovereign rating in the region and its leading position as the first in the region in the ease of doing business and attracting investments.
His Highness said, “In the past 17 years, we have made many ministerial reshuffles involving more than 66 ministers and pushed the youth to take part in shouldering responsibility. The government is currently the most financially efficient and capable of keeping pace with global changes. We succeeded in establishing an integrated space sector with total investments of AED 36B and space missions to Mars, the Moon and the interplanetary mission, in addition to a national space agency and satellite manufacturing in just ten years.”
“Today, with the endless support of my brother, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and with the spirit of union and the ambitions of youth, the UAE will continue its march of prosperity and development,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said in conclusion.”
After assuming the position of Prime Minister of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed led the Cabinet to hold over 440 meetings and release more than 10,000 resolutions between 2006 and 2022. These actions resulted in the formation of 4,200 federal laws, 400 government initiatives and policies, and 600 international agreements to boost the nation’s progress, strengthen key sectors, such as culture, trade, and economy, and reinforce its status as a vital hub linking the East and the West, according to WAM.
Under Sheikh Mohammed’s guidance, the UAE’s foreign trade rose to AED 2200B, and its GDP doubled to AED 1,862B. The country emerged as a leader in investment attraction, business ease, and global and regional competitiveness. The Cabinet also passed numerous regulations and laws to invigorate the job market, which attracted AED 734B of investment.
The government also directed over AED 110B toward social development initiatives and over AED 50B for housing programmes to ensure the best living conditions for citizens. Education and healthcare sectors received significant investments, with nearly AED 160B and AED 60B allocated respectively, benefitting over 1.3 million students and 92,000 medical professionals across 5,000 healthcare facilities.
The UAE Cabinet’s efforts have boosted the competitiveness of the national economy and finance sector, as evidenced by the country’s top rankings in over 186 global and 430 regional indices. The Cabinet also took measures to improve security, education, social welfare, health, infrastructure, housing, environmental sustainability, government readiness, energy efficiency, food security, and national human resources, among others.
The UAE’s first Arab space mission, the “Probe of Hope,” was launched on July 20, 2020, to explore planets and reached Mars’ orbit in the first quarter of 2021. The mission took over six years of work and involved 200 Emirati engineers who covered a distance of 493 million kilometres at a cost of $200M. This achievement coincided with the UAE’s celebration of its Golden Jubilee.
Under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, several government models and strategies were launched. In 2007, the UAE government announced its strategy for 2008-2010, and the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme was launched the following year. The UAE Vision 2021 was launched in 2010, with over 36 national teams participating in its implementation.
In 2011, the Emirates Programme for Excellence in Government Services was launched to improve efficiency and achieve higher standards in client services. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme was launched in 2012 to establish a unique learning environment in schools, and the UAE Green Growth Strategy was initiated the same year.
The World Government Summit was established in 2013, and the UAE National Agenda 2021 was launched the following year. In 2014, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation was launched to spur innovation, while the Arab Reading Challenge was initiated in 2015.
The year 2016 saw the launch of several initiatives by the UAE Cabinet aimed at accelerating the achievement of the National Agenda and Vision 2021. These included Government Accelerators, Emirates Youth Councils, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Dubai Future Councils.
The UAE Government’s Annual Meetings were launched in 2017 to bring together all government entities at the federal and local levels to discuss strategies and initiatives towards achieving the Centennial 2071 Plan, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed in the same year. This plan serves as a roadmap for government work to enhance the UAE’s leadership and reputation.
In 2018, the UAE launched the strategic partnership for government modernisation to foster a culture of innovation and accelerate modernisation efforts. The Government Experience Exchange Programme was also launched during the World Government Summit.
The year 2019 saw the launch of the Regulations Lab, which focuses on developing and testing legislation for emerging technologies. The Arab Government Excellence Award was also launched, celebrating successful government experiences and projects in the Arab world and honouring distinguished Arab government employees.
In 2020, the UAE declared it as the year of preparation for the next 50 years, with the theme “2020: Towards the next 50”. The following year, the UAE hosted the Expo 2020 Dubai, attracting millions of visitors and becoming the most prominent global event post-COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the UAE Government introduced a new methodology for government action. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements were launched in 2022 to strengthen international ties and build on the UAE’s position as a global trade and logistics hub. The “We the UAE 2031” vision was also launched in the same year, focusing on social, economic, investment, and development aspects to continue the country’s development path for the next ten years.
