Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid sets out UAE's key priorities for 2023

National identity, the environment and education will be at the heart of the country's development in the year ahead

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the first Cabinet meeting of the year. All photos: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid / Twitter

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, was among the high-ranking officials attending.

Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed at the Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet approved the UAE's priorities for the year ahead, which will include a focus on national identity, education and the environment.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has set out the UAE's five key priorities for the new year during the first Cabinet meeting of 2023.

Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as Vice President, said the Emirates would focus on consolidating its national identity; championing the environment and sustainability; developing the education sector; boosting Emiratisation policies; and expanding economic partnerships across the globe.

The Dubai Ruler hailed the nation's progress during 2022 and looked forward to fulfilling its ambitions in the coming 12 months.

“We have five government priorities during 2023 that we approved today in the Council of Ministers.

“The first: national identity and its consolidation. The second: the environment and enhancing its sustainability. The third: the educational system and the development of its vision, indicators and outputs. The fourth: the localisation process and its acceleration. The fifth: our international economic partnerships and their expansion.”

Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE had “one of the most adaptable governments in the world”.

“We reviewed the outcome of 2022. The Cabinet issued more than 900 decisions. A total of 22 government policies were developed and approved, 68 federal laws were revised and issued, 113 national regulatory regulations were drafted, approved, and implemented.

“International agreements were signed and approved in 2022, preparing our economic, social, infrastructure, and digital sectors for the next stage.

“In 2022, the government formed more than 120 teams from 110 federal and local authorities and 50 private sector agencies to work on updating more than 100 federal social, economic, educational, and regulatory laws to stay current with many changes that have passed us and the world.

“Our teams' efforts have made us one of the most adaptable governments in the world.”

Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE was ranked among the best in the world in a number of developmental, economic and social sectors in 2022.

“Our country was ranked among the top five countries in the world in 339 developmental, economic, and social indicators in 2022.

He said the Emirates would continue to work to achieve its ambition to be the best in the world.

“As we embark on a new journey in 2023, our country will compete with itself and race against time in order to be the first and best in the world, God willing,” he wrote.

“To achieve the vision of my brother, the President of the State, God protect him, and the aspirations of our people to create the best economic, social, and development environment, the Cabinet is the main engine for co-ordinating efforts, unifying energies, and developing policies and strategies.

“The new year brings with it a lot of optimism for us, our work teams, and a brighter future, God willing.”

New strategies given the go-ahead

During the meeting, ministers approved the National Strategy for Desertification which will shape efforts to safeguard the country's natural resources until 2030.

The framework includes 33 initiatives aimed at preserving ecosystems, improving the condition of arid and drylands, and mitigating the impact of climate change.

Desertification involves the human-caused degradation of land in areas with low rainfall.

The Cabinet also agreed to regulate permits for space-related activities in line with efforts to bolster the flourishing sector and stimulate investment.

"The Cabinet approved the issuance of a decision to ensure compensation for damage caused to third parties during space activities," state news agency Wam said.

"The meeting also approved the issuance of the decision to regulate space resource activities in line with the objectives of the national space policy."

Cabinet members also rolled out plans to measure public satisfaction with government services.

The Government Services Observatory is an interactive digital platform that will display customer approval levels and the public's impressions of websites, smart applications and service centres.

Decision-makers also approved the re-formation of the Emirates Council for Food Security and authorised a unified financial procedures guide for donations and money transfers outside the country.

The Cabinet gave the green-light to the issuance of a federal decree ratifying co-operation agreements with the governments of Samoa, Ivory Coast, Serbia and Italy.