Abu Dhabi: The annual government meeting will begin on Tuesday to discuss national issues and assess plans to achieve the UAE Centennial 2071.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, will preside over the two-day meeting.

The largest national meeting will focus on reviewing two key national development plans: UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071. The goals and progress of UAE Vision 2021 will be assessed, including outlining a plan for the next three years.

It will include more than 30 meetings of government teams from various sectors to debate national issues and launch strategies and initiatives that will enhance the UAE’s development paradigm, leading to realisation of the 100-year national programme.

The meetings will also be attended by 400 leading government officials, including Crown Princes of the emirates, and members of the executive councils of the seven emirates, as well as ministers and heads of federal and local government bodies.

Over the two days, long-term national strategies will be launched, including the UAE Soft Power Strategy, the Emirates Higher Education Strategy, the UAE Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036.

The meetings will also discuss more than 33 topics covering economy, infrastructure and housing, health and prevention services, youth, resettlement, environment, energy, higher education and science research, media smart services, technology and innovation, and gender balance.

Workshops and lectures will be conducted to look at the most critical challenges and expected scenarios over the next five decades, and the appropriate plans needed to cope with them.

The meetings will address the objectives and results achieved so far within the UAE Vision 2021 framework, including the goal of establishing the UAE among the world’s top countries in various fields and in accordance with international indicators.

The national gathering aims to provide the largest and most comprehensive platform that brings the federal government together with local governments to discuss challenges facing development and the top priorities in various development sectors. The meetings will allow officials to draw up plans, programmes and action policies and coordinate between federal and local strategies.