Great Narrative Meeting: UAE ministers share vision for next 50 years

One official stressed to global experts that around 100 per cent of Arab youth trust government to face challenges, address issues

By Staff Reporter

Published: Thu 11 Nov 2021, 9:50 PM

As part of the Great Narrative Meeting, organized by the UAE government in partnership with the World Economic Forum in Dubai, UAE Ministers presented the government's main future directions for the next 50 years in the vital areas of government work namely, science, space, youth, technology and AI solutions, aiming to promote the development process and build a better future for humanity.

The session was attended by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, and Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. It was held in the presence of Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, and moderated by Mina Al Oraibi, Editor in Chief of The National newspaper.

Ohood Al Roumi stated that government readiness was the most important lesson that the world has learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic. She added that 21 years ago, when the UAE government launched the e-government program, there was no urgent need for it, but this proactive vision promoted its agility and resilience, and government work flowed smoothly, efficiently and effectively throughout the pandemic. She stressed that when it comes to building readiness for the future, the earlier it starts, the more prepared the government shall be.

Shamma Al Mazrui confirmed that youth future ideology has changed immensely as compared to previous years. This was reflected in the latest "Arab Youth Priorities Survey 2021", as it showed that about 100 per cent of Emirati youth trust the UAE government to facechallenges and address issues. In addition, the percentage of Arab youth who trust their governments increased to more than 70 per cent this year, indicating their confidence that their governments listen to their opinions.

Sarah Al Amiri noted that the UAE Cabinet reshuffle in July 2020 was a comprehensive make-over of how the government functions. She also stated that the creation of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, which combines two governmental portfolios, confirmed the fact that it is not only about technology, but rather about how advanced technologies can be deployed effectively across all sectors.

Omar Sultan AlOlama stressed that the UAE government's proactive mindset enabled the launching of multiple national strategic projects and initiatives that promoted the UAE's position as a global leader in innovation, technological advancement and digital transformation. He added that this mindset made the UAE one of the leading countries in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digitization, quantum computing, among others.