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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Ministerial Roundtable of XDGS foresees the future of the world 2030-2045, discusses international cooperation efforts to overcome challenges
As part of the World Governments Summit 2024, the XDGS Ministerial Roundtable was held on the first day of the summit to strengthen international cooperation and address growing global challenges.
Participating ministers from various fields met to set an ambitious agenda for global development and cross-border cooperation, under the theme “XDGs 2045: Navigating the Future of Our World," with the aim of stimulating concrete actions in line with global dialogue and the urgent need to strengthen sustainable development plans by following a comprehensive mechanism and a forward-looking approach to future global development.
This meeting came amid a constantly changing landscape in the twenty-first century and in light of challenges such as climate change, technological developments, and changing geopolitical dynamics, as world leaders face unprecedented challenges, which impose the need to intensify international efforts and coordinate action among countries to confront these challenges and shape the future of international cooperation.
To effectively navigate this uncertain future, leaders must first address a critical question: How can we collaboratively design a strong and just post-2030 global agenda that reflects the changing needs and aspirations of our interconnected world?
The XDGs 2045 Ministerial Roundtable aims to set a joint and ambitious agenda to promote sustainable development, and identify practical steps to achieve these common global goals, through the exchange of experiences and ideas between ministers and government leaders, as the roundtable contributed to developing innovative and effective strategies to achieve sustainable development goals in the short and long term.
The roundtable discussions cover the XDGs 2045 “Shaping The Future of Our World" Report, which indicates the role and obligations that each country must have towards implementing the sustainable development system and standards, which were previously presented in February 2023. The United Arab Emirates activated the concept of the XDGS 2045 Ministerial Roundtable as a dedicated event at the World Governments Summit. For governments to develop radical solutions to the challenges of the unknown future the world may face and practical strategies to achieve specific goals.
The ministerial roundtable was chaired by Eng. Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Chairman of the Global Council on SDG 11, Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and Special Envoy of the United Nations for Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Chairman of the Global Council on SDG 1.
Ulvi Ramiz oglu Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dr. Heika Harmgart, Managing Director Europan Bank for Reconstruction & Development, Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, UNHCR, and Bora Muzhaqi, Minister of Youth and Children of the Republic of Albania, also participated.
Suhail Al Mazrouie said: “The United Arab Emirates, through the visionary leadership, is working to solidify the country’s position as an active participant in implementing sustainable development goals through collective action with all nations worldwide, benefiting peoples and communities to achieve development goals and create a better future for all."
He added: “There isn’t much time left until the final deadline agreed upon by the international community in 2030. Promises, ideas, and visions alone are not sufficient today. Instead, the focus must be on action, implementation, and achievement. The challenges facing the world are increasing in size and complexity day by day, making it imperative to launch immediate solutions to enable governments and individuals to efficiently and effectively address the larger and more complex challenges."
"The summit serves as a platform where governments, international organizations, institutions, academia, and civil society convene to address the challenges and opportunities of the future," His Excellency emphasised. He further highlighted that the Global Governments Summit offers governments a forum to facilitate and stimulate the sharing of ideas, foster collaboration, and forge partnerships aimed at advancing the global goals beyond 2030.
His Excellency Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, stated that the ministerial roundtable presents a significant opportunity to expand upon the discussions held during last year’s World Governments Summit, which addressed the need to develop the global development agenda for 2030, review current commitments, and analyse future opportunities.
He further added: “The commitment of the United Arab Emirates to sustainable development is at the core of the visionary leadership’s vision for the future of the country, aiming to be one of the best countries in the world. At a time when its experience in dealing with sustainable development goals has become a global benchmark to be guided by, and an inspiring practice from which many governments around the world benefit, aspiring to achieve their national sustainability agendas."
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin said: “The global community must endeavor to make 2024 and the subsequent years a period of fast acceleration towards attaining the 2030 SDGs through effective public, private philanthropy partnerships, significant finance stimulus, knowledge and technology sharing and capacity development," he added.
A detailed outline of the renewed global commitment was developed as one of the most important points of discussion, as participants seek to identify effective mechanisms to ensure the commitment of countries and international organizations to achieving the set goals. Emphasis will be placed on developing specific action plans and defining responsibilities and incentives to ensure that agreed commitments are implemented effectively and comprehensively.
Through these proposed points of discussion, the XDGs 2045 Ministerial Roundtable demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation in multiple areas. Hopes are high that this meeting will contribute to developing specific and sustainable action plans to build a better and more sustainable future for all.
It is worth noting that the XDGs 2045 Ministerial Roundtable aims to identify the practical steps that should be taken to achieve sustainable development and focus on cooperative efforts among ministers to overcome global challenges and promote sustainable development.
The SDG in Action Forum, organized within the World Government Summit 2024, in partnership with the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, will witness expanded dialogues aimed at paving the way towards achieving the global agenda for sustainable development.
As a part of the accompanying events of the Global Government Summit 2024, taking place in Dubai from February 12 to 14, with the participation of heads of states and governments, over 80 international and regional organizations, 120 government delegations, and a distinguished gathering of global thought leaders and experts, the forum explores major global trends in more than 110 main interactive dialogue sessions, featuring 200 global personalities. Additionally, more than 23 ministerial meetings and executive sessions with the participation of over 300 ministers are scheduled.
His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange and Vice Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals emphasized that the UAE, under the wise leadership, has become a global model in sustainable development areas. He highlighted the continuous efforts of the UAE in accelerating the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (2030) on both national and global levels.
His Excellency said that the UAE’s commitment to sustainable development is reflected in the voluntary national review report presented during a special session on voluntary national reviews based on data for sustainable development goals within the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July of the previous year.
He added that the UAE continues its diligent work to support the achievement of sustainable development goals in areas such as poverty eradication, hunger elimination, and the enhancement of healthcare and community health on a global scale. This is achieved through constructive partnerships with nations and international organizations to assist communities worldwide, particularly those less fortunate. Lootah emphasized that the UAE is a major international supporter of renewable energy projects in over 70 countries.
The Forum addresses future transformations and innovative solutions to global challenges that contribute to shaping a better future for humanity. It focuses on seven core themes, including accelerating growth and change for effective governments, artificial intelligence and new future prospects, a fresh vision for development and future economies, the future of education and the aspirations of future societies, new global transformations, and urban expansion and global health priorities.
Since its launch in 2016, the SDGs in Action Forum has been a platform for promoting innovation towards achieving global goals. It discusses global challenges through innovative solutions, projects, and initiatives to expedite sustainable solutions for all major global challenges.
Through the Forum, the World Government Summit launched the SDG Activation Platform, with the aim of strengthening the focus on the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted around the world. The initiative was launched in partnership with the World Government Summit, the United Nations, the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and a number of local and international partners, with the aim of overcoming the challenges facing countries’ work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
It’s worth noting that the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE was formed by a resolution issued by the Cabinet in January 2017. The committee, chaired by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, includes the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and 13 federal government entities, all sharing responsibility for implementing sustainable development goals nationally, monitoring progress, engaging relevant stakeholders, and submitting regular reports on the country’s achievements.
Dubai (Union) – The Higher Committee for Coordinating Statistical Work at the national level had its fourth meeting at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre in Dubai; where they discussed the National Statistics Strategy plan, as part of its efforts to enhance continuous assessments of new emerging needs and improve the efficiency of the statistical system to serve development programs at both the national and international levels. The meeting was attended by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Statistics and Community Development, H.E. Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and Chairman of the Committee, H.E. Abdullah Gharib AlQemzi, Acting Director General of the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General, Digital Dubai & CEO, Dubai Data Establishment, Dr. Hajar Al Hubaishi, Executive Director of Ajman Statistics Center, Najwa Yaqoub, Executive Director of the Ras Al Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies, and H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of Fujairah Statistics Center. H.E. Hanan Ahli, emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation between the statistical entities in the country through the exchange of knowledge and experiences and unifying standards of statistical processes. She pointed out that the upcoming action plan will prioritize designing the future statistical system and ways to improve the competitiveness of the UAE in global reports and indicators. She highlighted the importance of focusing on technical areas with a high impact on the national statistical strategy. The Committee stressed the importance of the participation of the UAE delegation in the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, in coordination with the Office of the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations, as the meetings of the Committee represent an ideal opportunity to build channels of communication and fruitful cooperation with international statistical authorities. It is worth mentioning that the Higher Committee for Coordinating Statistical Work was established at the national level in 2016 as a national initiative aimed at enhancing partnership opportunities, developing mechanisms for joint work, intensifying coordination among statistical entities in areas of statistical work development, and designing policies and implementing strategies based on data supporting decision-making processes.
The Ministry of Community Development announced the launch of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2024, in cooperation with national statistics centers in all emirates of the country, in a comprehensive national initiative that will continue for a whole year. The survey covers about 19,000 households nationwide and aims to provide a series of data and indicators related to the economic and social lifestyles of families, in addition to studying the conditions and standards of living within the country, and the seasonal changes that families go through for their income and spending over a whole year. Leadership’s Vision Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Community Development, said: "In accordance with the vision of the wise leadership, the UAE launched The National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, with the aim of moving from the concept of a good life to a comprehensive concept of integrated wellbeing," stressing the commitment of the Ministry of Community Development to continue improving the aspects of life for individuals and families through a scientific approach that seeks to progress development plans and programs and renewable services that touch the reality of the needs of Emirati families, which supports their cohesion and stability and protects their members within the framework of a sustainable development plan. Her Excellency pointed out that the survey on household income and expenditure represents a major step the importance that the Ministry and its partners are working on at a state level to feed the database of families, and this is integrated with the plans and initiatives that the Ministry is working on to serve the community in the UAE. For his part, His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, stressed that the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, places providing a decent life for Emirati families as a priority, and aims to enhance their quality of life and happiness, to ensure a decent and sustainable life and a bright future for all family members. His Excellency praised the efforts of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre from developing the "Household Income and Expenditure Survey" project and continuously stressing awareness from the beginning of the importance of this survey, which provides data and figures that constitute a reality of household income and expenditure levels in the country, which constitutes in its objectives a major step for decision-makers and officials to identify the data and indicators resulting from the survey, develop strategic development plans, in addition to implementing initiatives, whether social or economic, to improve all aspects of life for individuals and families, which would reflect positively on all components of these families, hence providing a decent quality of life that enhances their happiness. His Excellency highlighted that the Community Development Department in Abu Dhabi places great emphasis on the family, considering it the "foundation and nucleus" for a cohesive and interconnected society that contributes to the progress and prosperity of the emirate. This has led to the launch of the department’s "Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy," which is a comprehensive plan aimed at continuing to empower families and supporting their efforts in the emirate. This strategy encompasses children, youth, elderly citizens, residents, and all individuals, ensuring the provision of a nurturing and healthy environment for all families.
Quality of Life
Her Excellency Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in the Government of Dubai, said: "The UAE, under the leadership of the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, believes that enhancing the quality of life of families is a great priority, and is working to enhance and consolidate it for the benefit of achieving the gains of all its members." Her Excellency pointed out that the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2024 represents a qualitative step to update data and information that will support decision-makers and officials in developing Strategic plans and qualitative initiatives that improve the lives of families in the UAE, indicating that the Community Development Authority is working to provide multiple social services and programs aimed at improving the lives of the individual and society, and strengthening family ties to build a cohesive society.
International standards
For his part, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, said that the data collection process is carried out according to specific international principles and standards, stressing that dealing with the data that will be collected through the survey will be confidential, and will be used for the purposes of research and statistical study.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi called on members of the community to cooperate fully to make this survey a success and support the planning process for the economic and social development of the UAE.
5 years
Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre stated that the United Arab Emirates is witnessing the implementation of a Family Income and Expenditure Survey every five years. Experts from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, in collaboration with national statistical centers, have developed an approved scientific design for the sample of households to be visited. Hanan Ahli added that the survey will provide outputs related to the economic and social levels of families, contributing to empowering and supporting decision-makers in the formulation of economic and social policies. It will also provide data and results that enhance all aspects of life for individuals and families in the country. She noted that the survey sample will cover all emirates in the country, involving approximately 19,000 households, and represents an advanced mechanism to survey aspects of consumer spending in areas such as housing, education, health, and more.
A Careful Approach
In the same context, Abdullah Gharib Al Qamzi, Acting Director General of the Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi, confirmed that the samples were designed according to a proportional distribution method based on the number of households in the emirate. This approach ensures the required level of accuracy through an integrated process conducted in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center and national statistical centers, using the latest scientific methods. Al Qamzi said: "The Household Income and Expenditure Survey is carried out periodically to provide data on household income and expenditure. According to demographic and family characteristics, studying the levels of income and expenditure of the family and the individual and showing its relationship to economic and social factors, in addition to the distribution of individuals and families according to income and expenditure groups, collecting the necessary data to support the relevant projects, and estimating the national accounts related to income and consumption.
Spending Patterns
Younus AlNasser is the Assistant Director General, Digital Dubai & CEO, Dubai Data Establishment, said: "The Household Income and Expenditure Survey is in line with the higher national trends that are inspired by the vision of ‘We the UAE 2031’, which stipulates the establishment of the most prosperous society on a global level. The survey also embodies the importance of relying on digital data to draw conclusions and make decisions that contribute to building a brighter future, achieving community happiness, and consolidating the UAE’s leading position in various relevant global indicators".
Dr. Hajar Saeed Al-Hubaishi, Executive Director of Ajman Statistics Center, said The Household Income and Expenditure Survey aims to calculate the average income and expenditure of the individual and family. This data is linked to multiple factors such as education, profession, and activities. economic, as well as demographic, social and economic aspects. The survey provides accurate indicators on the monthly income and expenditure of households and individuals and helps estimate the current demand for goods and services. It also makes it possible to predict the future needs of the population with regard to goods and services.
Community Well-Being
Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shayeb Al-Naqbi, Director-General of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development, pointed out that the data of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey provide the necessary indicators to assess the level of well-being of households and individuals. By knowing the characteristics of the housing inhabited by the family, the durable goods available to it, the expenses of families on various items of expenditure, and identifying the activities of the informal sector, such as the activity of agriculture within the family sector (self-production outside the establishments), and its importance to the national economy. Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of the Fujairah Statistics Centre, said that the household income and expenditure survey will meet the needs of the SNA of data necessary to prepare national accounts related to the final consumption of households, in addition to measuring the inflation rate, and calculating the quantities and values of consumption of goods and services to estimate the demand for them in the future."
The General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Councils for Sustainable Development Goals 2030 concluded a series of events organized in conjunction with the work of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28), which included the Sustainable Development Goals Forum, in addition to many developmental initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening international partnerships in confronting the effects of climate change, eradicating poverty and protecting the planet, which will positively reflect on societies of future generations.
The SDG’s Forum discussed a number of goals in its sessions, including the fourth goal "education" and its importance as one of the decisive factors in contributing to advancing climate action, the seventh goal "clean energy", and the thirteenth goal "climate action". The forum concluded with the speech of His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Chairman of the World Council for the goal 11 "sustainable cities and communities".
The forum was attended by a group of experts on sustainable development goals in the UAE, and was attended by members of the global councils and a group of global specialists and advisers participating in COP28.
His Excellency, Abdulla Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Chairman of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, stressed the UAE government’s constant endeavor to enhance and support international efforts to achieve the SDGs, and pointed to the country’s pioneering experience that has been continuous for many years in this field, the latest achievement of which was the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to invest $ 100 billion in financing climate action and renewable and clean energy. The UAE is committed to investing an additional $130 billion over the next seven years, reflecting the visions of the wise leadership and its tireless work to support global efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
H.E. Abdullah Lootah said that the world is facing great challenges in its march to implement the 2030 Agenda, in many areas including poverty, finance, climate change and others, and that the National Committee on SDG’s works to harness all available capabilities, and exchange information and experiences with stakeholders on the widest scale, to find practical solutions to reduce unprecedented climate change. He stressed the importance of youth participation in the success of efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals, and praised the active role of youth in COP28, which included the participation of the Young Leaders Program to achieve the sustainable development goals in more than 10 sessions, covering the topics of epidemics and health, women’s empowerment, financing and gender balance, among others.
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, held a key session to discuss the importance of mobilizing financing and intensifying efforts to tackle poverty in a radical way. The SDG Youth Council actively participated in several conference sessions held in the Blue and Green Zones, with the presence and participation of government officials and decision-makers.
The General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals concluded its participation in the activities of the COP28 conference, by launching the second generation of sustainable buses in partnership with Emirates Transport, as part of the "Road to Sustainability" campaign.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre organized an intensive national workshop on services trade statistics, in cooperation with experts from the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations Trade and Development Organization.
The workshop was attended by experts and specialists in national accounts and trade statistics from government agencies from all around the UAE, including the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, as well as statisticians and economists from local statistical centers in the country.
His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, stressed that the UAE, thanks to the vision of the wise leadership, continues to strengthen its international position in services trade, as it ranked 12th as the largest exporter of services in the world during 2022 according to the World Trade Organization, while the value of UAE services exports reached AED 567 billion, equivalent to $155 billion, according to the "Trade Profiles" report issued by the organization last October. This report provides key data on the trade of goods and commercial services for 197 countries worldwide.
His Excellency added that the new strategy for services exports recently adopted by the Cabinet will increase the contribution of this vital sector with promising potential to non-oil foreign trade and GDP of the UAE, as the UAE’s service exports are growing at rates faster than the global average, helping to solidify the UAE’s position as a global business hub with an increasingly advanced and high-value economy that relies on services.
Her Excellency, Hanan Ahli, Manager Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, said that organizing the workshop comes as part of the joint efforts of the Centre, the World Trade Organization, ministries and government entities. These efforts aim to ensure alignment in the methodologies of collecting data related to services trade with the best practices and international standards. This is done to improve the business environment and achieve sustainable economic growth.
1,600 contestants representing 400 teams of young talents specialized in the fields of artificial intelligence and data science from the UAE and around the world participated in the activities of the United Nations Datathon 2023 platform, which was held in the UAE under the auspices of the United Nations, in the presence of data science specialists from the most prominent universities in the Arab region and the world.
Datathon 2023 is a participatory platform that supports and motivates young talents, organized in partnership between the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office, the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), and the Federal Youth Authority, with the support of academic institutions in the country.
The platform aims to enhance the leadership of the United Arab Emirates globally in the fields of artificial intelligence applications and data science, and to raise awareness of the importance of this sector in shaping future pathways.
Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre said that the UN Datathon serves as a platform for exploring and developing advanced solutions and innovative projects based on the outputs of the rapid evolution of emerging technologies. These can be employed to address various challenges in current and future vital sectors.
Her Excellency emphasized that the UN Datathon encompasses various domains of emerging and advanced technology, spanning data analysis, big data, artificial intelligence, smart conversational robots, blockchain, metaverse, augmented reality, 3D and 4D printing technology, along with several other emerging technologies. The aim is to harness the innovations of youth in these fields to contribute to building more advanced and prosperous societies. H.E. Mohammed Hassan, the Executive Director of the National Statistics and Data Science Sector at FCSC, asserted that the UN Datathon platform will strengthen communication among the youth of the UAE and their counterparts worldwide. It will provide a supportive environment for participants to develop solutions that address the challenges and rapidly changing dynamics in various fields. This, in turn, contributes to supporting efforts to achieve sustainable development goals.
His Excellency stated that participants in the United Nations Datathon 2023 will have the opportunity to engage in numerous sessions designed in an interactive and stimulating format, enabling them to unleash their creativity and enhance a culture of teamwork and collaborative work aimed at maximizing the utilization of available resources.
It is worth mentioning that the Open Data Datathon is one of the global initiatives organized in the UAE, in conjunction with the main event organized in the Republic of Uruguay, under the auspices of the United Nations, and the UAE represents an accredited regional platform for organizing data for the Middle East and North Africa region, with the aim of facilitating the entry of participants in the global competition.
Abdullah Lootah: Local Government Entities Play a Key Role in Supporting the National Strategy for Global Competitiveness
Dubai, 22 July 2019
The High Level Committee for Competitiveness, a specialized committee to monitor competitiveness at the federal and local levels in the UAE, held its first meeting for 2019 at the head office of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) in Dubai. The meeting was attended by members of the committee, including the Ministry of Interior, the Abu Dhabi Competitiveness Office in the Department of Economic Development- Abu Dhabi, Dubai Competitiveness Office, Ajman Statistics and Competitiveness Center, Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, the Executive Council of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah and the Municipality of Dibba Al Fujairah.
H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director-General of FCSA and Chairman of the High Level Committee for Competitiveness, chaired the meeting. He welcomed the members of the committee and emphasized on the vital role played by local entities in supporting the UAE’s competitiveness strategy. He also highlighted their essential role in raising awareness among the employees of the federal and local authorities on the concept of competitiveness.
"Our experience in working on the global competitiveness strategy which the UAE had launched in the last ten years proved that continuous cooperation among all federal and local government entities along with the private sector is essential to further improve the performance of the UAE on the global competitiveness indices," Lootah said.
He highlighted: "Through this committee, we will constantly cooperate with all our local partners to spread the culture of competitiveness as a way of thinking, and as a means of promoting the outstanding performance of the government to provide government services to individuals and institutions efficiently and according to the highest global standards."
In the meeting, the UAE’s competitiveness strategy was thoroughly reviewed, with much focus laid on the most important milestones achieved during the last ten years. . Attendees also tackled the details of several current and future projects and initiatives. The meeting highlighted the initiatives of "Ease of Doing Business in Local Emirates" in (Abu Dhabi and Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah), developed in coordination between the World Bank, FCSA and the relevant authorities in the three emirates.
In the meeting, the UAE’s competitiveness strategy was thoroughly reviewed, with much focus laid on the most important milestones achieved during the last ten years. . Attendees also tackled the details of several current and future projects and initiatives. The meeting highlighted the initiatives of "Ease of Doing Business in Local Emirates" in (Abu Dhabi and Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah), developed in coordination between the World Bank, FCSA and the relevant authorities in the three emirates.
Members of the committee emphasized the need to develop a shared vision for improving the UAE’s performance in several high-priority indicators in vital sectors. They also underlined the need to remain updated on the latest competitiveness reports, as well as the most recent laws and procedures that will serve the best interest of all emirates in their current and future competitiveness projects.
Completion of over 50% of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2019 Project
Dubai, 17 July 2019
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) recently announced the completion of over 50% of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2019 project.
More than 50% of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2019 project have been concluded, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has recently announced.
The project witnessed a participation of a sample of 20,500 households distributed across all the seven emirates of the UAE. It is being conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Community Development (MoCD) and local statistics centers.
Recent statistics data collected by the management team show that 89% of the sample contacted (9628) participated in the Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2019.
Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, highlighted the importance of households’ participation in this integral project. “The implementation of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey Project is aligned with the strategic goals of the MoCD. This project was developed to meet the directives of our wise leadership in sustaining economic development and social growth for all UAE residents.”
Her Excellency added: “The results of the survey are one of the pillars supporting the implementation of the quality of life strategy in the UAE based on accurate and up-to-date data reflecting the current realities of households’ income and expenditure in UAE. Such data is meant to be a knowledge base that makes it possible for decision-makers to develop informed social policies and launch initiatives. This project also promotes collaboration between government entities and private sector institutions to further improve the living standards of individuals and households in several aspects, most importantly education, health, and housing. Such achievements are substantial proofs that the UAE is moving forward on the right track to be the “home of happiness”.
Her Excellency pointed out: “We are proud of the work achieved by the survey team thus far, considering the set plan in terms of time and achievement. I want to thank all the professionals and administrators involved in this project and commend the efforts of the households who cooperated in providing data; helping achieve the survey targets.”
Confirming the efficiency of the survey activities being conducted as per the timeline of the project, H.E. Abdullah Lootah, FCSA Director-General, highlighted that the survey team involved almost 450 researchers, observers, supervisors, experts, technicians, and administrators in partnership with local statistics centers. He also indicated that this is over and above the FCSA administrative teams and local statistics centers that provide the human and technical capabilities to support the project team.
He hailed all the efforts exerted by all teams under hard conditions. “I avail this opportunity to thank all teams for their devotion and dedication, particularly the field teams who sometimes were obliged to work under severe weather conditions,” Lootah said.
On the participation of households, he said: “I look forward to seeing a greater interaction from all households contacted by the field survey teams, and more cooperation in providing accurate data to the teams. Our teams strongly believe the importance of the survey’s success and usefulness to everyone who lives in the UAE. They are working round the clock tirelessly to ensure the completion of the project according to the timeline.
Qualified Teams
In addition to the FCSA administrative teams and the local statistics centers that provide the human and technical capabilities to the work team, a group of observers, supervisors, researchers, is conducting the survey and experts distributed across all the emirates. All field teams have undergone intensive training, to be equipped with latest advanced field tools and methodologies such as geo-spatial positioning systems, mobile applications on handheld devices, and other advanced techniques and modern statistical methods to ensure accuracy and quality of results.
The survey will help extract more than 115 key indicators, such as the basket of goods and services, consumer price indices, cost of living index, and price indices to help assess the standard of living of families.
The survey also provides updated data on the demographics, social, and economic characteristics of individuals and households in the UAE, which help in linking them to income and expenditure indicators. The survey will help update the base years of statistical indicators of inflation rates considering that the periodicity of survey implementation extends to five years, and provides seasonal coverage of households’ income and expenditure rates.
Moreover, the survey aims to provide a wide range of data and information to help decision-makers plan and develop informed initiatives and programs by examining various living standards and measuring the level of well-being and quality of life in the UAE.
This survey helps to identify behavior and patterns of the individuals’ consumption and changes in consumption patterns due to a change in their income. It also aims to provide relevant and most recent data that serves the demographic, social, and economic aspects. Likewise, it also aims to provide data that sheds a spotlight on the most critical indicators of consumption patterns, along with the social and economic conditions of the different segments of the UAE society.
The size and distribution of the sample were designed following the appropriate statistical and scientific methodologies by teams of experts in FCSA and local statistics centers to ensure achieving high levels of accuracy. The sample was distributed across the seven emirates by using the sampling method proportional to the size of the number of the Emirati and Non-Emirati households in each emirate.
The Most Important Survey
The Household Income and Expenditure Survey is one of the most important international surveys in the statistics system. It is the biggest and most comprehensive survey after the National Census Survey in terms of significance and data availability. This survey has been designed to measure a large number of indicators that reflect the social and economic levels of households, Results of this survey will assist decision-makers to draft development and economic policies and plans intended for improving the standards of living and achieving stability and prosperity.
Dubai, 11 July 2019
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has recently announced the launch of the "Manual of Desk Review and Audit of National Statistics Surveys Data."
The manual is a standard guide specializing in setting the limits essential for controlling the phase of the desk audit of the national statistical surveys data. This step aims to establish and spread the culture of knowledge-transfer adopted and implemented by FCSA as an element essential for developing the task forces’ efficiency and improving the quality of data in the UAE.
Noora Ali, Director of the Methodologies Department at the Statistics Sector of FCSA stated: "The process of creating statistical assets including the human and information components is one of the most important goals that FCSA is striving to achieve with sights set to build up the national statistical system."
"The FCSA team is committed to adopting the best international recommendations and practices for producing accurate and up-to-date statistical data that meet the needs of local, regional, and international institutions. Additionally, the team is taking advantage of data that could be used in planning, constructing and sustainable development on a scientific basis and a modern vision," she added.
In this context, FCSA regularly publishes several specialized standards guides, in cooperation with its strategic partners, particularly the local statistics centers. By publishing these guides, FCSA aims to govern the statistical work system and standardize all methodologies, classifications, and standards put in place to produce statistical data in the UAE by FCSA, local statistics centers or any other relevant institutions to ensure their quality, consistency, and comparability. Copies of these methodologies are available on the methodologies portal at the FCSA official website (www.fcsa.gov.ae.)
Dubai, July 2nd, 2019
Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has recently announced the launch of the UAE Administrative Census 2020 Project.
The UAE Administrative Census 2020 Project is a vital comprehensive project that will continue until the end of December 2020. Its implementation is in cooperation with all local statistics centers and many other government entities in the UAE
While emphasizing on the importance of this Census and the importance of the data it will provide to UAE decision-makers, Abdullah Nasser Lootah, FCSA Director-General, said "Launching the Unified Census 2020 Project is consistent with the directives of our wise leadership. It also aligns with the UAE government’s interest in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and formulating policies supported by data and statistics. All of these efforts are meant to achieve the prosperity and well-being of the entire United Arab Emirates.
He added, "The Administrative Census relies on a transition using administrative records and modern technology, which enables us to implement this project with high accuracy while reducing the financial investments and human efforts. This is being achieved by utilizing the recorded data available at various government entities. The recorded data form the basis, which feed the Administrative Census 2020 Project databases. The project was launched in the beginning of the second quarter of 2019 and will continue until the end of December 2020."
The census project is dedicated for counting and surveying both population and housing units. It is based on the administrative recorded data updated by government entities for achieving the pre-set development goals. This step provides an alternative to the classical Census based on households’ visits and interviews for data collection in every emirate.
For the completion of this wide-ranging project, task forces from all over the UAE will cooperate at both federal and local levels. The task forces specializations are varied and include specialized technical, administrative, media, and IT individuals to have an e-integrity of the systems and protect the confidentiality of collected data and to save it in databases ultimately.
Mohamed Hassan Ahli, Executive Director of Statistics and National Data Sector at FCSA and the General Manager of the Administrative Census 2020 Project pointed out: "The execution plan of the project is developed to implement the best and most prominent international practices, methodologies and recommendations in the digital statistical transformation process related to the data collection process in the Administrative Census 2020 project. Thus, from the very beginning, we are committed to benefit from the best international experiences in this area. A delegation, headed by FCSA and attended by a number of federal government bodies and local statistics centers, visited the statistics centers in Belgium and Austria to review the latest techniques and methods used in such kind of censuses to apply them to the Administrative Census 2020, along with the data validation mechanisms and integration of different types of data and applications that support the optimal implementation of this project.
The Census is significant because it is one of the essential sources of accurate and comprehensive population data. Its results will contribute to the provision of modern and informative databases that contribute to informed decision making, especially in light of the economic, social, and environmental developments that necessitate the implementation of a population census. Therefore, completing the current census project is in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and meets the international recommendations of the United Nations that every country should conduct a census by 2020.
This Census is essential for many important indicators and contributes to the provision of characteristics on living conditions and housing units. The project has more than 70 indicators that are based on the population and their characteristics. These indicators fall within the goals of the National Agenda, Global Competitiveness indicators, and SDGs 2030. Therefore, the sustainability of the periodic flow of population data is imperative for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development and for making informed decisions.
Quotes from the speeches of senior government officials in the federal and local government authorities on the launch of Unified Census 2020 activities:
H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Director of Department of Statistics and Community Development in Sharjah stated: "The Census is a leading national project, part of the UAE’s major development plans. This government initiative aims at accelerating the development of community- households and individuals, to reach sustainable development based on accurate and timely data obtained from administrative records. It is crucial to increase investment and efforts in the preparation and development of government records and databases to provide an essential source of data to be utilized in studies and reports."
H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Al Kaabi, Assistant Undersecretary for Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Energy and Industry stated, “The Administrative Census 2020 Project is of great importance and is one of the most important tools for acquiring knowledge about UAE and its geographical unity. Such an issue is necessary to facilitate implementing urban development projects and social and economic planning. This will help the UAE in developing plans for different areas such as workforce, education, health, housing, and social services to achieve prosperity and to optimize the quality of life for its citizen and residents."
H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) said: "MOHAP is participating in the Administrative Census 2020 Project, in cooperation with FCSA recognizing its significance in providing the data necessary for calculating the UAE basic health indicators. These indicators are integral for MOHAP to develop health and prevention strategic plans to further boost the quality of health care services levels by measuring health indicators and developing appropriate health policies set to achieve the goals of the UAE Vision 2021 which aims to implement a global health system and enforcing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030
H.E. Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy underscored "The Census is an embodiment of the government’s efforts to establish a dynamic database for economic and social variables through the use of technology. This project will form the main pillar for building a central database for the indicators of the Sustainable development goals. The project methodology relies on the administrative records of government entities to automatically, systematically, and accurately obtain information, thus enhancing the confidence and credibility of the country’s data."
Eng. Aisha Al Midfa, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, stressed that the Administrative Census 2020 is channeled to achieve all national strategies designed to support and promote the indicators of Emiratis owning a house and infrastructure, besides the time of being granted the housing unit. “The project of development in UAE which would contribute to accomplishing the UAE general policies and strategies and taking decisions based on highly accurate data," she said. She indicated that the Census would serve the policy and strategy development process, determine the status and baseline of the national agenda associated with infrastructure and housing, and facilitate appropriate decision-making. The availability of timely, accurate and valuable data on individuals and their social status, housing statistics and manpower, as well as the characteristics of buildings, homes, Emirati households and the health levels of Emirati families will help making informed decisions.” he said.
H.E. Aisha Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Human Resources Policies at the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR), commented: "FAHR supports this vital national project by providing FCSA and all concerned authorities with all necessary statistics and data on human resources in the federal government and local governments. This is done via the human resources e-system managed by FAHR called the Federal Government’s Human Resources Information System (Bayanati). Bayanati is a unified federal and local government database that is an important reference point for official human resource statistics in UAE, in planning the future of UAE’s human resources flawlessly and effectively."
H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Hosani, Director General of the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), emphasized on the importance of the Unified Census 2020 for the UAE in terms of establishing an updated national database.
He added: “The near real-time, updated information and reports provided by the UAE’s unified electronic record will direct the national, federal, and local efforts as well as resources to further enhance the level of preparedness and capacities of all government entities This will aid in successfully and effectively managing emergencies, crises, and disasters. The success of this project depends on cooperation between institutions and individuals, which will result in monitoring the well-being of individuals and society and contribute towards positioning the UAE as par with developed countries in the field of statistical data and records.”
H.E. Abdullah Ahmed Al Yousuf Al Suwaidi, Acting Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Statistics Center (ADSC), stated: “In light of the Abu Dhabi Government’s interest in development and its role in improving the level of well-being of the society, its commitment to extract statistical indicators that monitor the population and social changes, and its efforts exerted to analyze these indicators and make them available to the decision-makers who will use them to develop programs and policies developed to serve the best interests of the society. ADSC will be using the administrative records to identify Abu Dhabi’s population and their social and economic characteristics. The decision-makers are using these records as an alternative to the classical method of conducting censuses, i.e., to collect data from the field. Conducting this Administrative census will save time, effort and money, and contribute to conducting population census projects regular without any further delays usually experienced when conducting the traditional Census, given the rapid population changes taking place in Abu Dhabi.”
Tariq Al Janahi, Deputy Executive Director of Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) and member of the Census Higher Committee, said that this Census is a qualitative leap in the integration of government systems. "It provides a real opportunity to achieve immense added value to policies, strategies, systems, and advanced technology that the government sought to implement over the past years. It will also be a critical source of information to assist policymakers, planners, and decision-makers by providing them with up-to-date demographic data of the highest quality obtained through the least financial investment and human effort. By uniting government efforts, the UAE can become a global role model in the field of Census. .
Dr. Abdulrahman Alshayeb Alnaqbi, Chairman of the Ras Al-Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies, stated: "The Census is of great importance to the UAE as it is foundation for all efforts exerted to measure the emirates capabilities. The data and statistics collected through this Census will assist us in taking future decisions regarding the economic and social development plans. They will assist in identifying the needs of the emirates in all sectors and determine its competitive advantage. It will also assist us in identifying ways of directing budgets and channeling resources to cater for the population’s needs by providing them with basic services, including schools, hospitals, food, and factories.”
Dr. Hagar Saeed Al Hubeishi, Executive Director of the Ajman Statistics and Competitiveness Center (ASCC), availed the opportunity to emphasis that the Unified Census 2020 project is one of the top priority statistical projects that ASCC seeks to implement in 2020. She went on to say "The goal of conducting this project is to support and provide high-quality coordinated statistics. This will be achieved by taking advantage of the administrative record databases of the government entities. ASCC management has expressed its keenness and readiness to implement this project. To ensure the success of the project, ASCC has formed a higher committee, a technical committee, and other specialized census teams."
Dr. Ibrahim Saad Mohamed, Director of the Fujairah Statistics Center, said: "Many countries, including the developed ones, tend to use administrative records for counting their population and their characteristics rather than the field surveys. Indeed, conducting censuses this way is time-saving and cost-effective."
Dr. Ibrahim drew attention to the fact that based on the UAE’s (and particularly Fujairah’s) interest in the development and its role in boosting the levels of well-being of the society, policies should have solid foundations supported by statistical figures and indicators. He added: "By taking advantage of these figures and indicators, we will be smoothly able to monitor and analyze population characteristic and social changes. They will be of great importance to the decision-makers who will use them to cater to the actual needs of the society."
Dubai, UAE – 27, May 2019
UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum directed all government entities in the UAE to achieve the top ten in 1000 global competitiveness indicators over the coming ten years.
His Highness’ direction came during his visit to a meeting held at the Bab Al Shams Resort in Dubai today on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the beginning of competitiveness in the UAE. FCSA Board of Directors met today in the same hall from which the first government team was created to manage UAE competitiveness ten years ago.
I congratulate my brother Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of our competitiveness path. We have taken the UAE to top positions in education, health, economy, innovation, security and safety. We started with a small team and an ambitious idea. Today, competitiveness is an integral part of the UAE government ecosystem"
"We are looking forward to a decade of innovative competitiveness … building upon what we have achieved in the past ten years. Today, the UAE is in the top positions in more than 300 indicators… In the next ten years, UAE will be in the top ten in more than 1,000 indicators. We have faith in our youth to achieve what our people aspire the UAE to be, the best in the world."
The FCSA team presented a summary report on list of key achievements of UAE global competitiveness over the past 10 years. The team also briefed His Highness a number of upcoming strategic initiatives in competitiveness, statistics and sustainable development goals.
His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, instructed the FCSA team to work in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. He instructed FCSA to launch an initiative to accelerate achieving advanced competitiveness positions in partnership with the executive teams of the competitiveness indicators, in order to preserve the accomplishments the UAE achieved so far.
The FCSA Board of Directors also stressed the importance of focusing on capacity building and empowering young national talent in understanding competitiveness reports and indicators. Formal training, secondments conferences, events and specialized workshops are to be utilized for enhanced capacity building in competitiveness.
The FCSA board also praised the FCSA management team’s efforts in developing and modernizing the statistical the infrastructure in the UAE, underlining the importance integrating statistical and competitiveness strategy.
FCSA board also directed the FCSA management to identify global experiences in the field of statistics and data to mark a quantum leap based on the latest technologies on the global arena, such as analytical tools for large data, the Internet of things (IOT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
"Cooperation between federal, local and private sector entities and the community is an important factor that enabled the UAE to achieve such major achievements in global competitiveness reports and indicators, and enabled UAE be in the Top Ten ranks in 311 competitive indicators," said HE Al Gergawi.
Al Gergawi stressed that the UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, have become a model of excellence and leadership. Not only in the Arab world, but also globally, the UAE today leads in how government performance can be enhanced and modernized, making the UAE a destination for other governments around the world looking to enhance their own competitiveness journey"
HE Abdullah Lootah, director general of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority said, "The celebration of the 10th anniversary to launch of the global competitiveness journey is a major milestone for the country’s ongoing march towards global leadership. The cooperation we are witnessing from our government and private sector stakeholders contributed significantly in the impressive results UAE achieved today. Through these innovative partnerships, we will continuous our enhancement in legislations and procedures," added Lootah.
Journey of competitiveness achievements
he UAE’s competitiveness journey began in 2009 with a small team of seven working under the leadership of His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future. After less than 18 months of founding work, the competitiveness Team expanded in size and function. An independent governmental body representing members of its administration representing the seven emirates. After the establishment of the Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC), HE Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation became chair of the board for nearly eight years.
Under her leadership, UAE competitiveness witnessed several important milestones such as hosting international experts and global events in competitiveness, the 3rd the Global Federation Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) forum held in Dubai in 2012.
The ECC Council also worked to strengthen bilateral relations prominent publishers of global competitiveness reports and indicators such as the World Economic Forum, Institute of Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland and The World Bank, the publisher of the Ease of Doing Business report.
In 2015, ECC and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) merged to form the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), the federal agency charged with three mandates: enhancing UAE’s global competitiveness, modernizing the country’s statistical ecosystem and fulfilling UAE’s sustainable development goals.
The current board of directors includes 20 members representing a group of ministries and the local statistical center in the country.
The UAE competitiveness journey also marked a number of important achievements since the establishment of the FCSA, such as achieving the UAE’s top positions globally in 75 international competitive indices. The United Arab Emirates is among the top ten in 311 competitive indicators in 17 competitive reports monitored by the Authority. Another accomplishment that supported UAE competitiveness was the formation of the Executive Teams on Competitiveness Indicators as one of the outcomes of the competitive sessions in the UAE Annual Government Meetings, as well as the Number One Indicator Challenge project.
SDGs Talk with HE Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State
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