Let’s empower UAE with education: VP

Abu Dhabi - 120 initiatives announced across 30 national pillars on the first day.

Those who create the future do not surrender to luck or circumstance; planning the future is the first step in defining it, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohammed was speaking at the annual meetings for the UAE government in Abu Dhabi, which was co-chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The meeting constituted the largest governmental gathering of its kind in the UAE and introduced over 120 federal and local government initiatives in 30 sectors in response to national goals and challenges. The meetings will see the launch of strategies designed to advance the country’s development towards UAE Centennial 2071. The progress of the initiatives will be assessed in one year at the meetings in 2018, and then continuously until the goals for UAE Vision 2021 are achieved. Some of the pillars that the initiatives fall under include laws and legislation, developing services, collecting national information for databases, reports and studies, strategic plans, and overall national guidelines.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, chaired a meeting with seven committees from the Executive Councils of all emirates, launching three initiatives dedicated to enhancing cooperation between the various councils.
“A historic lecture by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to our young citizens formed the basis of our national vision for the next 50 years. An important aspect of the lecture was preparing for the future of the UAE. Today, 30 teams took the first step toward UAE Centennial 2071,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
“Natural resources are not everlasting, however, the intellectual person who pioneers the future and adapts to global changes will persevere. We seek to empower many more generations with education, a strong economy and a plan for the future that is the most advanced in the world.
“Sheikh Zayed built our stable and prosperous nation and left us with one request: To keep working until we become the best in the world,” he concluded.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed stressed the importance of an annual gathering of government leaders to focus on defining the future of the UAE.
He said: “These meetings represent a pioneering national initiative. The UAE’s future prosperity is a responsibility shouldered by everyone in our nation. We can only achieve our ambitious goals for the future with strategic foresight and by acting together as a team.
“Our forefathers are our role models, and set a glowing example of how we can face challenges and build our nation with the future in mind. Today, we seek a prosperous UAE for our future generations, building our nation as one of the best countries in the world. This was always Zayed’s desire.”
He also attended a meeting on the future of education in the UAE, alongside Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education; and Dr Ahmad Belhoul, Minister of State for Higher Education Affairs. They stressed on the dedication of the UAE’s leadership to establishing a superior educational system, focused on technology and innovative educational models.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

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Staying ahead
Where have you seen constant innovation in governance but in the UAE? We are living through exciting times, where change is permanent with a leadership that’s striving for excellence. Hence there’s motivation to follow suit. Sitting still or resting on laurels does not yield dividends. The leadership is showing how it can be done. They are setting the pace with reforms and initiatives for development. Are you wired to respond to the challenges?

• Abu Dhabi