Government changes will create a brighter future for UAE, FNC says

Introducing a young youth minister will create “great leaders” and push young educated Emiratis to participate in politics and decision making, according to the UAE’s youngest Federal National Council member.

Saeed Al Remaithi, the youngest FNC member, said appointing a young Cabinet member would motivate youth. Reem Mohammed / The National

ABU DHABI // The youngest FNC member has praised the decision to appoint a young Cabinet member as a way to produce great leaders and encourage educated Emirati youths to take part in politics and decision making.

“This is a big motivation for the youth to engage in the politics, to have a role in the Government and the Cabinet, to have an international presence,” said Saeed Al Remeithi, 32.

“The Government deals with major issues all the time, but there should be a person from within the youth who is in constant contact with them and this is where the role of the newly established minister comes in.”

Mr Al Remeithi interacts with the country’s youth through social media, and he says their main issues are education, job opportunities, marriage and social affairs.

That the post will be filled by a young woman aged 22 at most will add to the breakthroughs and achievements of female Emiratis, he said.

“In the beginning the post was open for both males and females, so for a female to reach the post gives incentive to young Emirati women,” Mr Al Remeithi said. “We will be discussing in the council how to deal with the new reconstruction.”

Azza bin Suleiman, an FNC member from Dubai, said she was mostly interested in the new posts of Ministers of State for Happiness and Tolerance.

“This translates the UAE’s policy since its inception, and how it has been progressing its relations with others,” Ms bin Suleiman said.

The global happiness scale showed Emiratis to be the happiest in the world, she added.

Ms bin Suleiman said the changes made to the Ministry of Labour and its title would “unify Emiratisation efforts, especially in the private sector, since the ministry regulates the working force in the country including expats who are filling many jobs in different sectors that could be filled by nationals”.

It was also important to bring international aid and relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said, to keep up with rapid developments and the large amounts of aid provided by the country. “The UAE today has more than 38 humanitarian parties around the world, so it is inevitable that the Foreign Ministry should organise this work.”

Salem Al Shehhi, an FNC member from RAK, said the reforms to the education sector “should have been done a while ago”.

The new changes give more jurisdiction to school principals, “that will facilitate the work flow”.

Bringing nurseries under the Ministry of Education was a positive move, because children will be in safer hands, Mr Al Shehhi said. “The mother can go to work and put her mind at ease.”

He believed forming a council of Emirati scientists will not only increase their number, but also the quality and benefits of their contributions.