The UAE's holistic governance model could be a valuable export to the world

Governance in the UAE is a continuous exercise in alignment between institutions and citizens, between ambition and delivery. Antonie Robertson / The National

When more than 500 senior officials from federal and local entities convened in Abu Dhabi for the 2025 UAE Government Annual Meetings, the event represented far more than administrative co-ordination. It reflected a philosophy of governance rooted in unity of vision, precision of execution and accountability of outcomes.

Watching the sessions firsthand, what stood out was not the announcements but the process itself. Ministers compared data, questioned assumptions and adjusted goals in real time. Many governments convene to commemorate past achievements; the UAE convenes to design the next chapter of its story.

Indeed, few nations bring their entire government architecture together in one forum each year to evaluate progress, set priorities and reinforce a shared sense of national purpose. This practice sets the UAE apart, reflecting a model of governance that is both unified, accountable and forward-looking.

Governance in the UAE has never been confined to drafting policies or launching programmes. It is a continuous exercise in alignment between institutions and citizens, between ambition and delivery. For the international community, the UAE’s governance model offers valuable lessons.

At its core lies a unique system of national co-ordination that is institutionalised rather than improvised. Held from November 4 to 6, the seventh edition of the Annual Meeting created a high-level mechanism for dialogue and accountability across government – a space where ministers, directors and leaders aligned objectives and reviewed performance.

One of the most revealing moments was the international press conference in which officials faced questions on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to regional politics. Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama described the launch of the AI Readiness Index for federal entities, a framework designed to measure each institution’s preparedness for emerging technologies.

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Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, outlined the progress of Operation 300bn, the long-term plan to raise the industrial sector’s GDP contribution from Dh133 billion ($36.22 billion) to Dh300 billion by 2031, noting that current output is already around Dh197 billion. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, noted that the UAE has delivered more than $98 billion in foreign aid since 1971, and in 2024 alone delivered $1.7 billion in official development assistance.

Other projects of note include the recent launch of the Unified UAE Numbers platform, an AI-powered statistical system developed with 28 national entities and covering more than 380 economic and social indicators, embodies this ethos. So does the new for federal entities and the Dh170 billion national transport and infrastructure plan to 2030. Together, they demonstrate that the strength of governance lies in the clarity of data and transparency that guide it.

Moreover, the UAE’s approach shows that the true value of technology and data lies in how they translate information into accountability and policy into measurable outcomes. By measuring what matters, governments can refine what they deliver. Ultimately, from such discipline in governance emerge outcomes grounded in credibility.

This method has implications beyond national borders. In a world where policy areas overlap more than ever, the UAE’s habit of integrated planning offers a lesson in co-ordination. Health policy interacts with economic policy, AI ethics intersects with education and climate strategy shapes investment. The Annual Meetings demonstrate that these intersections can be managed within a single deliberative framework. Accountability, rather than slowing ambition, becomes its engine.

In a world often preoccupied with short-term politics, the UAE’s consistency in convening, co-ordinating and planning stands out

The same approach is cascaded in the UAE’s diplomatic efforts globally. When a country manages its institutions with clarity and consistency, it earns the confidence to engage the world with purpose. The UAE’s growing diplomatic presence, from its mediation roles to its leadership in global initiatives on humanitarian aid, climate, energy and development, stems from the same discipline that guides its domestic governance. It is a diplomacy built on competence and trust, shaped by evidence and results.

Equally important are the national projects that bind this vision to society. Initiatives such as the Emirati National Identity Strategy and the declaration of 2026 as the Year of the Family affirm that development in the UAE is social as much as economic. By placing identity, cohesion and inclusion alongside innovation and infrastructure, the country advances a holistic model of progress that many others can adapt to their own contexts.

In a world often preoccupied with short-term politics, the UAE’s consistency in convening, co-ordinating and planning stands out. Its approach fuses governance and diplomacy into one ecosystem, where domestic alignment fuels international credibility and national planning informs global engagement. For partners and observers alike, the lesson is not to replicate the UAE model, but to learn from its discipline, its clarity of purpose, its integration of institutions and its belief that effective governance is the foundation of meaningful growth.

The UAE’s journey is still unfolding, but its experience already demonstrates a simple truth: a government that debates its own data in public builds resilience. It accepts that adaptation, not perfection, is the measure of maturity. And when a government acts as one, guided by vision, measured by data, and anchored in values, good governance becomes the fuel behind sustained growth and development.

For the UAE, the future is not something to be declared; it is something to be rehearsed. And that rehearsal takes place, year after year, in full view of its citizens and partners.