How does a young nation earn its place among the top international rankings across the spectrum of development? The UAE has the answer. Thanks to its well-envisioned policies and goals, it is enjoying the top spot globally in a wide arc of quality growth indicators from some of the most rigorous watch bodies in the world. Such a feat has become possible due to the country’s clear understanding, and activation, of the spirit of competitiveness.
The UAE is ranked first regionally, and entered, for the first time, the top five globally in the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings released yesterday. Also this week, the United Nations Development Programme and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation’s Knowledge Report revealed that the UAE has jumped from the 104th spot to first place globally in the internet and telephony level of competition.
From its quality of government decisions, adaptability to changes, effectiveness of its government spending and ease of doing business to its tourism infrastructure, gender equity, tolerance with foreigners and the education sector, to name but a few domains, the UAE has been racing up the rungs propelled by its fierce determination to be nothing but the best in everything it does.
Its spirit of competitiveness is an accelerating force that inspires the human capital to innovate and push for the highest productivity levels. These levers of progress have enabled the UAE to achieve an impressive economy, internationally-acknowledged social stability and prosperity across the board.
As the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority’s (FCSA) review of achievements over the past decade reveals, the UAE has risen to the top positions in the most important indices of education, health, economy, innovation, security and safety. This remarkable journey, that was flagged off as a federal strategy to become the ‘number one’ a decade ago, is crossing one milestone after another. It is no surprise then that the UAE is striding ahead to take its rightful place in the top ten (in more than 1,000 indices) during the next ten years.
In the words of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai: “It only makes us more determined to reach the highest ranks, stressing that we will continue in the competitiveness race and we will not be settling for anything less than being number one globally.”
