The federal budget for 2016 shows that despite tightening spending, the UAE government is steadfast in its commitment to nurturing UAE society and developing the skills of its population. It is to the great credit of the UAE that despite the vastly increased chaos in the region over recent years, it has still maintained its prioritisation of education and social services. The government is well aware that a secure and prosperous future of the UAE depends on these areas of public spending, as a country is nothing without its people.
Therefore, it is important that despite producing a slightly tighter overall budget for 2016, the federal government has increased its spending on developing the UAE’s human potential. 2015’s slightly larger budget of Dh49.1 billion allocated 49 per cent of its spending towards health, education and social services, and developing government services for UAE citizens, which came to a total of just over Dh24 billion.
This compares to the new 2016 budget of Dh48 billion, which allocates 55.7 per cent to the same social causes, coming to total of Dh26.7 billion.
The federal budget is a small proportion of total public spending in the UAE, which includes the budgets of the seven emirates. But the federal government’s 10 to 13 per cent of all government spending is more important than its small total might indicate because the federal government plays an essential role in setting standards and expectations across all emirates so that the entire country can work to one standard.
It is important that schools in one emirate are of the same standard as schools in another, and that quality of health care enjoyed by UAE citizens should not vary from place to place.
The federal government has to plan to work alongside the spending from the better-off emirates and coordinate with other funds that cross the UAE, to make sure that all UAE citizens benefit from the aspirations of their government, as is illustrated by its success this year in keeping people at the top of its priorities.
