Building the future on knowledge

It is but timely issues of concern to the state such as knowledge and education in the Arab and Islamic worlds are addressed with a serious approach to resolving them. The inaugural speech of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the opening of the Knowledge Conference devises a hopeful roadmap that could take the region ahead and into the future.

In his address, Shaikh Mohammad unveiled various strategic and sector plans that outline the workings and mechanisms of the $10 billion Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, announced last May. The successful experience of the UAE has been taken as a guiding point in carrying out the initiative. "As we have succeeded in various fields, bypassing apprehensions and fears, we shall succeed in this one, relying on God first, and guided by the Emirates' spirit and experience in achievement, with the conviction that man is innately righteous, positive and mindful of the public good, and that Arab and Islamic people deserve a better type of life," he said.

But what is significant about this entire initiative is not just limited to the magnitude of the goals it is trying to achieve. The most considerable point here is the fact that the initiative has not only identified the areas that need to be addressed or the issues that are important to tackle. Instead, it has also outlined steps as to how to execute and reach the end goals.

It is no secret that the region faces serious issues when it comes to the state of knowledge, which is well recognised by Shaikh Mohammad. But the challenge set forth now is truly in how others will utilise the initiative to take the region forward.