Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday chaired the first UAE Cabinet meeting of 2026 at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.
The Cabinet reviewed the national journey over the past 20 years, during which the leadership was able to “re-engineer” the culture of work in the country, Sheikh Mohammed said.
“The federal government was able to, through 16,000 decisions, thousands of work teams, and budgets exceeding one trillion and 100 billion dirhams, re-engineer government work in the country by facilitating services, reviewing legislation, updating technological, investment, virtual and legal infrastructure, and transitioning to a new phase of developmental work,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X.
He added that, under the leadership of President Sheikh Mohamed, the Emirates has “solidified a model developmental journey, where the country leads the world in more than 280 developmental indicators in citizen well-being, education, health and housing”.
This is also reflected in trade and economic relations, Sheikh Mohammed said, as well as the UAE’s “global standing in artificial intelligence, space industries, sovereign assets, attracting the best talents, and working as an economic hub connecting the east of the world to its west”.
In November, at a previous Cabinet meeting held at the Dubai Airshow, Sheikh Mohammed presided over a Dh36.7 billion action plan to drive foreign investment into the Emirates.
It will seek to increase incoming overseas investment from Dh115 billion annually to Dh240 billion by 2031, and to raise the stock of direct foreign investment from Dh800 billion to Dh2.2 trillion by the same year.
As he reflected on the country’s 20-year progress on Monday, Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Vice President, commented on how policies such as this have driven growth.
“Twenty years ago, we decided to strive for first place,” he said. “Some doubted, and today, by the grace of God, the UAE has become a developmental model that countries seek to emulate, and we export its model to more than 55 countries around the world, and the superiority will continue under the umbrella of the Union.”
20 years of progress
It comes after Sheikh Mohammed marked 20 years as Ruler of Dubai on January 4, with the UAE President leading the tributes to his years of service.
“In honour of 20 years of my brother Mohammed bin Rashid leading our government, we celebrate his inspiring record of achievements and future-focused vision that continues to advance the UAE's growth,” Sheikh Mohamed said on X.
“May God protect him as we work together in pursuit of progress and development for our beloved nation and people.”
During his time as Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed has been instrumental in leading the emirate's success, not least with the opening of Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, in 2010. In his tenure overseeing the emirate’s affairs, Dubai has continued to grow and is now firmly established as one of the most influential cities on the planet.
