His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, chaired the Cabinet meeting held at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE. The Presidential Office, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “At Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, I chaired the first meeting of the Council of Ministers in 2024, during which we reviewed what was done in 2023. We decided on our plan for 2024, which will focus on implementing the national priorities announced by my brother, the President of the State, may God protect him.” On Union Day, we directed all federal agencies to work on government plans, initiatives and projects that serve the national priorities announced by His Highness.
He added: “During the meeting, we reviewed what was achieved in our national files during 2023, most notably the files of citizen housing and resettlement.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “In the housing file, more than 4,300 housing decisions were issued with a total value of up to 3.2 billion dirhams from the Zayed Housing Programme. The percentage of citizens owning homes across all housing programs in the country reached 90%, which is the second highest percentage of home ownership in the world.”
His Highness added: “In the Emiratisation file, the Nafs programme, under the follow-up of my brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, succeeded in bringing the total number of citizens working in the private sector to about 92 thousand citizens. These files will remain the subject of our continuous follow-up in 2024, God willing.
His Highness continued, saying: “In the economic field, our non-oil gross domestic product achieved a growth rate of 5.9% during the first nine months only… and the country ranked first in the world in more than 215 development, economic and human indicators in international reports.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “During the meeting, we reviewed what had been accomplished within the national legislative plan for the year 2023, as 73 federal laws were issued in 2023, including 10 laws issued for the first time in the country, within the legislative system with the participation of 1,500 specialists. And 50 government teams.”
His Highness added: “The Council of Ministers approved 60 national policies and strategies, and 62 international agreements. “2023 was the most active legislative year in the country’s history.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “The year 2023 was exceptional under the leadership of my brother Mohammed bin Zayed and his deputies and brothers. The UAE witnessed unprecedented economic growth, a major global political presence, scientific progress, and new educational and health developments. The year 2024 will be a new milestone for more development achievements, with greater momentum in all sectors, God willing.
In detail, the Council of Ministers reviewed a report on the achievements and results achieved for the year 2023, including the most important strategies, policies, legislation and decisions issued by the Council of Ministers during the year. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, confirmed that the priorities The federal government for the year 2024 will be in line with the general directions of the federation, announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, on the 52nd Federation Day, which include four priorities: consolidating the characteristics of the Emirati personality locally and globally, and the UAE is a country seeking About what is new, education is our bet for progress and our place in the future will be determined by the extent of progress in education, and sustainability remaining in our culture, practices and various aspects of life in our homeland.
During the year 2023, the Council of Ministers and the Ministerial Development Council held 23 meetings, and issued 1,030 government decisions in various vital fields and sectors.
The UAE government has given the citizen housing file a top priority, as the Council of Ministers issued a number of policies and initiatives to raise the ceiling for housing assistance for citizens, which resulted in enabling the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program to issue more than 4,300 decisions for housing assistance in the year 2023, which is considered the highest in the program’s history. With a total value exceeding 3.2 billion dirhams.
Federal and local government housing programs (since their establishment) have provided more than 180,000 housing assistance nationwide, with a total value exceeding 212 billion dirhams until 2023, and these efforts have contributed to the percentage of citizens owning a home reaching 90%.
The government continued to support Emiratisation programmes, and under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Presidential Office, a number of policies and decisions were issued in support of Emiratisation programs and objectives, and these programs and efforts succeeded in increasing the number of citizens joining the labor market by a percentage It has exceeded 150% since the launch of (NAFES), and the total number of citizens working in the private sector has reached more than 92 thousand citizens. The country has also continued to raise the efficiency of the labor market, as the Emirates Award for Leadership in the Labor Market was launched, and the optional alternative system for end-of-service compensation was adopted. To enhance the competitiveness of the industrial sector, and to encourage national industries, the Council of Ministers issued a number of specific initiatives in this vital sector, including the launch of the “Made in the Emirates” label, the launch of the Industrial Technological Transformation Index, the Emirati drone system, and reducing fees for industrial companies registered in the content program. National, issuing a number of standard technical regulations for vital industries, and enhancing the quality of products manufactured in the country.
With the arrival of the UAE to Mars, the Cabinet issued a number of programs to enhance leadership in the space sector, the most important of which are: launching the UAE mission to explore the asteroid belt, sending astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi on the longest Arab mission in outer space, establishing the National Space Fund, and ratifying the cooperation agreement in Exploring and using space for peaceful purposes, regulating permits for space and space-related activities, and regulating space resources. The Council also issued a number of policies to enhance the country’s readiness for renewed challenges in cyberspace, including: the National Policy for Internet of Things Security, the National Cloud Security Policy, the Cyber Incident Response Framework and Plan, and the Policy for Protecting Critical Information Infrastructure.
To consolidate the UAE’s position on the global stage, the Council of Ministers agreed to join and ratify 62 international agreements in the fields of economy, finance, justice, security, defence, the air sector and humanity.
Regarding government affairs, the Council of Ministers approved 54 recommendations submitted by the Federal National Council in the areas of regulating private higher education, sustaining electricity and water services, regulating the labor market, volunteer work, supporting and developing the sports sector in the country, and others.
The non-oil GDP at constant prices for the first nine months of 2023 recorded a remarkable growth rate of 5.9%, compared to the same period of the previous year, and transportation and storage activities topped the growth rates at a rate of 12.1%, compared to the same period in the previous year, as a result of the significant increase in Numbers of passengers, as the country’s airports achieved the highest passenger traffic during this period, and accommodation and food services activities ranked second in terms of highest growth, with a growth rate of 11.6%, influenced by the increasing numbers of visitors to tourist destinations and international events in all their forms.
National efforts and coordination between various federal and local government sectors, and private sector institutions, resulted in enhancing the country’s global leadership, as the UAE achieved first place globally in 215 international competitive indicators in 2023 compared to 186 indicators in 2022, and the country also topped the region regionally in 364 global indicators. It has become one of the top 10 countries in 604 international indicators, according to global competitiveness reports and international organizations.
The UAE achieved first place globally in the government policy capacity to adapt index and the absence of bureaucracy index issued by the International Institute for Administrative Development, in addition to first place globally in the indicators of Internet users and wireless broadband, according to the Global Digital Competitiveness Report issued by the International Institute for Administrative Development, And in the air transport quality index, the energy infrastructure index, the low personal income tax index, and the low labor disputes index, according to the Global Competitiveness Yearbook report issued by the International Institute for Administrative Development, and first in the world in the index of the percentage of the population who feel safe walking alone at night, and the services performance index. Logistics issues issued by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and in the index of coverage of prenatal care, the index of the presence of national programs for early detection, the index of the balance of the government budget with the gross domestic product, and the country’s ability to attract talent according to the Prosperity Index report. The Council of Ministers announced the completion of the UAE’s national legislative plan for the year 2023, through the issuance of 73 federal laws in various sectors, which included many facilities and incentives for the requirements of doing business and activities, simplification and shortening of government procedures, and facilitated mechanisms for benefiting from services related to many vital sectors, and strengthened coordination. Between federal and local government agencies. More than 1,500 specialists, experts, and officials, and 50 government teams from federal and local government agencies, worked to implement this plan.
The new and updated legislation supports efforts to transform into a flexible legislative framework whose direct impact is felt by society in services in the field, enhances government development efforts in all sectors, and eliminates duplication of roles, responsibilities and tasks. The Council also launched the “Implementation of Laws” index issued in the country, and reviewed the results of government agencies’ implementation of the laws issued by the country during the period 2020-2022, and directed the submission of periodic reports on achievement and challenges, and the impact of these laws in achieving their goals.
The legislative updates included 10 laws issued for the first time in the country, including the Trade Law, through modern technological means, the law establishing the Emirates Pharmaceutical Corporation, to make the country a global center for the pharmaceutical and medical industries, the law regulating the use of the human genome, and the law regulating the federal genetic fingerprint database, The law regulating places of worship for non-Muslims, to promote the values of tolerance and coexistence, and the new pensions and social insurance law. The Council also agreed to make fundamental amendments to major laws, such as the Financial Reorganization and Bankruptcy Law, the laws regulating the space sector, a new law regulating the donation and transplantation of human organs, and other new laws.
As part of the agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting, the Council reviewed the developments in the progress of work in the areas of joint Gulf economic work for the year 2022, as the total volume of trade exchange between the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries reached 287 billion dirhams, and the country’s exports to the Arab Gulf countries reached 80 billion dirhams, with an increase in the amount of trade exchange between the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. 12% compared to 2021, and the country’s imports increased to 70 billion dirhams, an increase of 25% compared to 2021, and the total number of shareholders of GCC citizens in joint stock companies in the UAE reached more than 300 thousand Gulf shareholders, and the total number of licenses of GCC citizens exceeded To practice economic activities in the country, 33 thousand licenses will be obtained during the year 2022.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the results of economic indicators for the cultural and creative industries for the year 2021, as the sector achieved remarkable growth at a rate of more than 22% compared to the previous period, and the added value of cultural and creative industries activities amounted to more than 61 billion dirhams, and the number of workers in the sector exceeded 400,000 employees per year. In 2021, the number of operating establishments exceeded 38 thousand establishments.
Regarding legislative affairs, the Council of Ministers approved the issuance of a number of federal legislation, including the executive regulations of Federal Law No. (4) of 2023 regarding sports, which aims to provide talented sports models, through discovering and empowering sports talent, and strengthening mechanisms to support national sports, Empowering and motivating community members to practice sports, enhancing national identity by supporting international relations, and participating in sporting events and competitions.
The Council also approved the issuance of regulatory decisions regarding trust services and approved trust services, and the issuance of technical regulations for the energy efficiency statement card for electrical appliances (home cooling appliances).
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