Dubai: January 4, 2021, will mark the 15th anniversary of the rule of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
On this occasion, Sheikh Mohammed took to Twitter to share his message with the UAE people, recalling the achievements made by the UAE over the years, with a tweet that reads: "Brothers and sisters ...the people of the UAE... In 2021, we will complete 15 years in the leadership of the UAE government ... we have worked to achieve the vision of my brother, President of the UAE and we spared no efforts to serve the people of the UAE ...
In the letter titled “15 years in the government of the UAE” Sheikh Mohammad said: "Brothers and sisters, the people of the UAE .. About 15 years ago, I was assigned to head the federal government and I swore in before the UAE President, and before you all to be loyal to the UAE, to preserve its union, safeguard its interests, respect its constitution, and look after the interests of its people.
"And you were witnesses of that moment, and God was a witness to that oath, and God knows that we did what we could, and God knows that we have devoted the resources of the entire government to serve our people. And God also knows that we did not compliment anyone at the expense of the interest of our country.
"A year later, I announced before President of the UAE and members of the Federal Supreme Council, the first federal strategy. In 2009, we announced the UAE Vision 2021, and that we want to be one of the best countries in the world. Some questioned the feasibility of launching a strategy and goals spanning 12 years. But today, we see its results a reality that we live today.
"What happened over these years was remarkable, as thousands of teams from the federal and local governments worked as one team to achieve the vision adopted by the President of UAE.
"We have established the principles of strategic planning in the government, and distinction as well as competitiveness have become turned into a institutional culture within our institutions. We carried out the largest process of legislative reform in our country through more than 50 new laws to keep pace with the future ... and we changed the way of providing 2,500 government services from traditional to smart ... and the UAE government became the second in the world in financial efficiency ... We restructured the government several times to keep pace with the changes .. We doubled the federal budget by 130 per cent and strengthened our competitiveness to make the UAE the first in the world in 121 indicators in various fields, and our work is still ongoing.
"The UAE’s passport today is the strongest in the world... The sense of safety in the UAE is the highest in the world by more than 95 per cent. Our country is the first in the world in the overall stability index of the economy and in the rate of internationally accredited hospitals. We are the first in the globe in terms of individuals' easy access to electricity and the first in the world in the availability of mobile broadband and the second in the ability of our government to adapt to the changes.
"Our economy is the second largest in the Middle East and we are the country number one in the region in terms of attracting foreign investment and ease of doing business. We are leading the Arab region in more than 437 international indicators. In addition, the UAE government received the highest sovereign rating in the region.
"We are the country number one in the Arab world in terms of the rule of law and the efficiency of the judicial system. There is no fear for a state where justice prevails, law is respected, and human rights are protected.
"We have changed many legislations and provided facilities for everyone, something which made us today the first in the world in attracting talents, the first in government partnership with the private sector and the first in financial skills in the public sector.
"Our educational system especially in science and mathematics is the best in the Arab world and our spending on research and development in universities exceeded Dh 8 billion in 2020 only.
"Over the past period, the federal government has pumped Dh40 billion into housing sector, Dh140 billion in the educational sector, Dh94 billion in social development programs and Dh50 billion in the health and community protection sector.
The life expectancy in the UAE is approaching 80, and our country has been ranked third in the world in the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) and people's satisfaction with health care among many other indicators that local federal work teams have made sure to surpass over the past 15 years, leading to the year 2021.
Brothers and sisters,
The past 15 years that I spent with the work teams in the federal government were not easy. I remember at the beginning of my tenure as prime minister that there were some who warned me of a catastrophic failure. I remember those who advised me to maintain my success in Dubai and not to risk new responsibilities.
I remember one of the senior Emirati dignitaries who spoke to me after several years of assuming my responsibilities, saying, “We all expected you to fail ... but we were wrong.” My answer was always: This is not my success alone, it is the success that was made a reality by work teams and every official who was waiting for opportunities to change, as well as thousands of young people who we trusted and they proved to us that they are the right amount of trust.
More to follow
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