Education, housing and health the focus for FNC’s Khalifa Al Suwaidi

The appointee from Abu Dhabi has put education, housing and health at the heart of his efforts on the council. No freshman to politics when his term began, he also champions opportunities for youth.

Unlike many council members, the experienced Khalifa Al Suwaidi was undaunted by duty to the nation. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

ABU DHABI // Khalifa Al Suwaidi has spent the past three years in the council focusing on improving education, housing and health.

He said there were many issues in these categories that the council had to discuss and solve. It was always trying to improve its services for the nation.

When it came to the challenges he faced, Mr Al Suwaidi said that they were important and always present in terms of education, housing and health. “We always need to improve,” he said.

“I concentrate on these three,” he said. “And modernisation of the country and improving their issues – especially the youth.”

During his first year, Mr Al Suwaidi was the chairman of the Examination of Appeals and Complaints Committee. The committee wanted to set up a hotline for citizens to call if they were unable to solve a problem through any other channel.

He is part of the FNC’s Interior Affairs and Defence Committee. It recently discussed the military service law.

Mr Al Suwaidi, who was appointed from Abu Dhabi, said he has a lot of experience with the Government and with the Emirates Red Crescent, where he was a chairman of the board. Through his previous work, he said, he knew how the FNC functioned and what its duties were. Therefore, he did not face anything unexpected once he began his first term.

As an FNC member, Mr Al Suwaidi did not have a specific campaign, because he was appointed not elected.

But he campaigns to be an active member of the FNC and has also focused on Emiratisation, an important topic for him, as well as improving the country and helping citizens to resolve their issues.

He also believes in training and educating youth for work.

“It is the duty of the FNC to serve the nation.”

As to how the FNC should improve, Mr Al Suwaidi said: “It needs wisdom. Negotiations always need wisdom.”

Overall he is satisfied with everything the council has accomplished in the past three years. Although not all issues had been resolved, he said the FNC was “on target”.

Mr Al Suwaidi has worked as the director general of state security for the Abu Dhabi government, and as deputy chairman for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.

He is also the head of several of private businesses.