Since taking office as the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has overseen launching a raft of revolutionary initiatives in the UAE. The year 2007 witnessed unique achievements for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at the local and regional levels. On April 17, 2007, His Highness unveiled the UAE Government Strategy aiming to achieve sustainable development across the UAE, utilize federal resources more effectively, and ensure accountability and transparency across federal entities.
In 2010, the UAE government launched the ‘UAE Vision 2021’, which charted the next stage of the UAE's journey leading up to 2021, and aimed to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by the Golden Jubilee of the Union in 2021. In 2014, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched a seven-year National Agenda in order to guide efforts towards Vision 2021.
Recognizing the importance of investing in the future generations, by preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed to keep pace with rapid changes and to make the UAE the best country in the world by 2071, His Highness launched the ‘UAE Centennial 2071’, which is a long-term, full-vision plan that extends for five decades after 2021. It derives inspiration from the historic lecture delivered by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in March 2017, outlining broad parameter's for building the UAE of the future and preparing the country for future generations.
During the second half of 2021, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a new strategy for government work to accelerate achievements and set priorities. His Highness also directed all government institutions to adopt and implement the UAE’s ten “Principles of the 50”, approved by His Highness the President of the UAE, while developing plans and strategies. In November 2022, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum introduced 'We the UAE 2031,' a national vision signaling a new phase in the UAE's development process over the next decade, with active participation from all entities in the country.
Since its founding, the UAE has experienced 14 cabinet reshuffles, with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum leading eight government structures until 2021. Under His Highness, the UAE government has seen the announcement of eight structures in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020, as well as three ministerial amendments, reflecting the government’s flexibility in keeping pace with national priorities and future trends.
UAE Centennial 2071
The ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ is a long-term, full-vision plan that extends for five decades after 2021. It serves as a clear roadmap for the long-term government work to fortify the country's reputation and its soft power.
The plan was based on the lecture given by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in which he spoke about the strategies that will prepare the UAE for future generations, ensure continuity of development, and sustain happiness for many decades. The ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ aims at investing in the future generations, by preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed to face rapid changes and to make the UAE the best country in the world by the next centennial in 2071.
Pillars of UAE Centennial 2071
The ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ is based on four pillars as follows:
Future-focused government: A government that operates with a long-term vision, seeking to achieve social welfare, and presenting positive messages to the world. This involves adopting the best experiences and practices derived from a national strategy to enhance the soft power of the country and ensure new and diverse sources of sustainable government revenues and financial and investment capabilities away from oil. Additionally, it involves developing a mechanism to monitor changes in various sectors.
Excellent education : This pillar highlights the importance of excellent education in advanced science and technology, with a particular focus on space, engineering, innovation and health sciences. It involves cultivating moral and positive values, fostering professionalism in educational institutions, and building minds open to the experiences of developed countries. Other measures include teaching students and implementing mechanisms to discover their individual talents early. On the institutional level, educational institutions are encouraged to serve as incubators of entrepreneurship and innovation, transforming into international research centres.
A diversified knowledge economy: The objective is to foster a globally competitive economy, employing various mechanisms such as enhancing productivity in the national economy, facilitating the global reach of national companies, investing in research and development within promising sectors, and focusing on areas reliant on innovation, leadership, and advanced industries. The pillar involves crafting a comprehensive national economic and industrial strategy that foresees the future, positioning the UAE among the world's vital economies. This includes cultivating a generation of UAE inventors and scientists, supporting their contributions to science and technology, fostering collaboration with developed countries, enhancing the professional expertise of UAE citizens, and instilling a new work culture. Emphasis is placed on encouraging the export of advanced national products and services globally through specialized programmes, further promoting the growth of leading UAE businesses.
A happy and cohesive society: This involves nurturing values of tolerance, cohesion, humility, respect, and patriotism. It entails empowering youth and women, advocating happiness and positivity as a way of life, prioritizing the quality of health and sports, channeling human potential towards solidarity and cooperation, cultivating families cognizant of future demands, and crafting programmes that enable future generations to serve as honorable ambassadors of the UAE abroad, while strengthening the connection of UAE citizens to their homeland.
The ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ programme includes:
- Fortifying the country's reputation
- Diversifying the imports and exports by relying less on oil
- Investing in education focusing on advanced technology
- Building UAE values and ethics for the future generations
- Elevating productivity of the national economy
- Enhancing society's cohesion
We the UAE 2031
‘We the UAE 2031’ is a new vision and national action plan that charts the UAE's development trajectory for the upcoming decade towards the next fifty years. It is an integrated programme focusing on the social, economic, investment, and development aspects of the UAE within a clear and cohesive vision, aimed at fortifying the UAE's global standing as a dynamic partner and a compelling economic force. It showcases the success of the UAE's economic model and underscores the myriad opportunities it extends to global partners.
For more information, please visit https://wetheuae.ae
National Agenda
In January 2014, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the ‘National Agenda’ to actualize the UAE Vision 2021 by the Golden Jubilee of the country’s Union. Crafted by over 300 UAE officials from 90 federal and local government entities, the agenda included strategic goals and projects spanning education, health, economy, policing, housing, infrastructure, and government services.
UAE Vision 2021
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched 'UAE Vision 2021' in February 2010, with the goal of positioning the UAE among the world's premier nations by the Golden Jubilee of its Union. The vision is inspired by the National Action Programme announced by the late President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the wisdom of the founding fathers. It served as the overarching framework for all government action plans in the years leading up to 'UAE Vision 2021', with the Prime Minister’s Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs playing a pivotal role in coordinating and supporting its initiatives.
‘UAE Vision 2021’ was built on four pillars: an ambitious and confident nation grounded in its heritage, a strong union bonded by a common destiny, a competitive economy driven by knowledgeable and innovative Emiratis, and a nurturing and sustainable environment for quality living.
The vision aimed for comprehensive empowerment by fostering national identity, confidence, and responsibility, building stable families and cohesive communities founded on moderate Islamic and Arab values, and promoting safety, integration, and balanced development. Emphasizing a diversified knowledge economy that leverages the best competencies and ensures prosperity, ‘UAE Vision 2021’ focused on developing high-quality educational and health systems and maintaining sustainable environments for future generations.