DUBAI — His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, paid an inspection visit on Sunday to the Ministry of Public Works in Dubai, accompanied by Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

He was received by the Minister of Public Works, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Undersecretary of the Ministry and a number of senior directors and officials.

Shaikh Mohammed called for active involvement and participation by citizens and stakeholders in the federal as well as local governments in the process of development of remote regions and rural areas, and in drawing the features of this development

in all emirates during the next two decades. Such a development must envisage comprehensive infrastructure capable of transforming these areas in future to city centres with all facilities and utilities that will guarantee dignified life for the citizens, Shaikh Mohammed stressed.

He also asserted the right of the future generations to benefit from all the good the country can give today, in the same way that their fathers are enjoying the fruit of what their forefathers had planted.

“The development, for which we lay the foundation today through this comprehensive plan designed by the ministry, guarantees the needs of the remote regions and rural areas in all parts of our country such as healthcare, education, housing, roads, water and all the essential services,” stressed Shaikh Mohammed.

Shaikh Mohammed viewed the models, plans and designs of new buildings and installations currently under execution in various emirates for the ministries and other federal authorities.

Model for development

He also viewed the miniature model for the implementation of the initiative of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the development of infrastructure across the emirates and remote regions.

In the ministry’s meeting room, Shaikh Mohammed, flanked by Shaikh Maktoum, Shaikh Hamdan, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, and a number of other senior officials, listened to a presentation on the comprehensive national plan for the development of remote regions and rural areas until 2030.

Giving the presentation, Director of Rural Planning at the Ministry, Nadia Musallam said that the plan envisages the completion of development on short, medium and long term targets.

“The requirements of the rural areas for the next two decades have been identified and they are not limited to the constructional needs, but the plan also takes into consideration the material, economic, social, cultural and environmental factors and the density of population,” she noted.

The plan, to be executed in coordination with the local governments, also includes integrated designs for roads, transportation and other utilities, she added.

The presentation also focussed on sustainability and the mechanisms that have been developed to measure the success of the strategies adopted by the Ministry of Public Works when implementing the comprehensive development plans on the national level.

Shaikh Mohammed praised the Ministry of Public Works and its entire team led by the Minister of Public Works Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan for striving to achieve the ‘UAE Vision 2021’ and for translating into practice the slogan of the federal government strategy ‘Citizen First’.

Shaikh Hamdan expressed happiness over the visit paid by Shaikh Mohammed and thanked him on behalf of the entire ministry and its employees, adding that the “visit is a real honour for all of us and it will encourage everyone to exert more effort in the service of the nation”.

• UAE