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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
The UAE Government Knowledge Exchange Office organized as part of the activities of the UAE delegation at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2024 in New York. A pivotal session on the central role of the principle of building and expanding bilateral strategic partnerships at the international level in accelerating the achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations for the year 2030 with a global consensus, where the UAE delegation presented the country’s pioneering model in concluding partnerships whose sustainable impact is reflected in developing the work of governments and supporting the growth paths of economies and societies. The session, titled ‘Building and Strengthening Impactful Partnerships to Accelerate the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’, addressed the UAE’s efforts at the level of international cooperation in exchanging experiences and successful models with the seventeenth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is "Partnerships to achieve the Goals".
The session showcased the UAE government’s knowledge-sharing partnership approach with more than 37 countries and governments around the world.
The session was organized with the aim of documenting the global impact of the government knowledge exchange program and its role in achieving The objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 17, which is concerned with activating global partnerships for sustainable development, including governments, the private sector and civil society, as this documentation of achievements will contribute to enriching academic institutions with the information and data required to measure and monitor the progress of partnership development and their direct and indirect contribution to the achievement of other sustainable development goals.
The session was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Knowledge Exchange and Competitiveness and Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, His Excellency Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Her Excellency Dr. Alanoud Al Hajj, Assistant Undersecretary for Green Development and Climate Change, Lt. Col. Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director General of the International Affairs Office at the Ministry of Interior, Hashem Al Attas, Senior Portfolio Manager for the Middle East and North Africa at Masdar, in addition to experts, academics and makers. Decision, and government officials from Rwanda, Mongolia, Serbia, Malaysia, Malta, Uzbekistan and Fiji.
The session was moderated by Afshin Molavi, Senior Fellow, Institute for Foreign Policy at the College of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
The session discussed the value of influential partnerships in promoting progress towards achieving sustainable development goals, through government modernization, supporting positive transformations, and consolidating partnership concepts that support countries, governments and societies in achieving sustainable development goals and transforming future challenges into opportunities. The roundtable session then turned into a workshop on the future of partnerships in accelerating the achievement of the five goals focused on the 2024 edition of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: Goal 1 to eradicate poverty in all its forms everywhere, Goal 2 to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, Goal 13 to support climate action and call for urgent action to combat climate change and its repercussions, and Goal 16 to promote peaceful societies. inclusive of all categories to achieve sustainable development, provide justice for all and build effective and efficient institutions; Goal 17, which focuses on global partnerships to promote the implementation of development goals.
The participants were distributed from Academics, researchers, government officials and experts in groups, each group discussed one of the sustainable development goals under discussion, where they prepared in brainstorming a series of practical recommendations to promote accelerated international partnerships to achieve sustainable development for the future, foremost of which is the call for the exchange of knowledge and expertise, the sharing of best experiences and practices, and inter- and international cooperation at the level of governments, UN organizations, international institutions and development programs to reach the goal of sustainable development and preserve the planet’s resources for future generations.
The first group included H.E. Dr. Alanoud Al Hajj, Assistant Undersecretary for Green Development and Climate Change, H.E. Ambassador Ernest Rwamusio, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations, H.E. Chinokhai Pat Ardenni, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, and H.E. Mohamed Raslan, First Secretary for Agricultural Affairs at the Malaysian Embassy in Washington.
The group discussed the achievements of the government knowledge exchange program and its impact on the first two development goals of eradicating poverty in all its forms. The second goal is to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Participants in the first group addressed the role of technological innovations in efforts to combat poverty, and the importance of investment and policy development to increase the contribution of education and health care to reducing global poverty levels.
The session also touched on global trade policies and market movement and their impact on food access to all countries and their role in reducing hunger and improving global food security.
The second group addressed Goal 13, which supports climate action and calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its repercussions, and included Lieutenant Colonel Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director General of the International Affairs Office at the Ministry of Interior, Her Excellency Marta Arsowska Tomovska, Advisor to the Speaker of Parliament of the Republic of Serbia and Special Envoy for Expo 2027 in Belgrade, Joseph Caruana, from the Ministry of Environment, Energy and the Grand Port Renovation in Malta, and Hashim Al Attas, Senior Portfolio Manager for the Middle East and North Africa at Masdar.
The second group discussed issues of importance Current globality, such as the role of governments in leading the transition to alternative energy sources, the responsibility of advanced economies in this area and the possibility of playing a greater role in reducing carbon emissions, and ways to support societies to withstand the effects of climate change.
The third group discussed Goal 17, which focuses on global partnerships to enhance the implementation of the SDGs, and was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange and Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, His Excellency Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, His Excellency Shukrat Vavayev, Executive Director of the Uzbekistan Fund for Reconstruction and Development, and His Excellency Viotti Kisonyo, from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations.
Participants addressed the role of global partnerships in making rapid progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the role of multilateral financial institutions and the role of concessional loans in supporting sustainable development, and the prospect of partnership between public and private sector institutions in this regard.
The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the main platform. Since its establishment in 2012, it has played a pivotal role in following up and reviewing what has been implemented at the country level in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This edition of the International Forum was held under the theme "Promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Eradicating Poverty in Times of Multiple Crises: Effectively Implementing Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative Solutions".
The Ministry of Interior stressed the importance of global peace and security in achieving the sustainable development goals and the UAE’s keenness to achieve a balanced and comprehensive development path that does not only affect the national level, but also benefits all countries of the world. This came during the participation of Lt. Col. Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director General of the International Affairs Office at the Ministry of Interior, as part of the UAE delegation in the activities of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of the United Nations held in New York, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs until July 17, in which the Ministry of Interior reviewed its international initiatives in climate action and community security. Lieutenant Colonel Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi noted the UAE government’s keenness to continue raising and enhancing global peace and security levels through law enforcement institutions, national security strategies, and modernizing the legislative system in line with the growing requirements of societies to achieve sustainable development goals worldwide. She said that our wise leadership realized early the importance of achieving the 16th goal of the sustainable development goals to achieve the rest of the goals, which requires the implementation of a comprehensive approach to make leaps Quality in the levels of achievement of all seventeen sustainable development goals, it is important to have strong and effective institutions, and a governance system, which will address and address various social, economic and environmental challenges, and the interest reflects the state’s keenness to achieve a balanced and comprehensive development path that does not have an impact only at the national level, but also to provide an effective development model that reaches its benefit to all countries of the world. She stressed that the State of U.A.E. continues as a leading model in achieving the sustainable development goals of 2030 and 2045. During her intervention at a session on the sixteenth goal on promoting peace, justice and strong institutions and its interrelationship with the rest of the sustainable development goals, she stressed that there is a need for more police cooperation at the international level, and issued an invitation to join in cooperation for a safer world. In her intervention, she referred to the International Law Enforcement Initiative for Climate (I2LEC), launched by the Ministry of Interior at the World Government Summit in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime last year 2023, which aims to establish a joint approach to inter-agency law enforcement action. International organizations and governments to develop global frameworks aimed at building the global research capacity of law enforcement agencies to address crimes that affect the environment. During its first year, the initiative achieved many results, including the support of more than 60 law enforcement agencies around the world, while joint international operations under the umbrella of the initiative contributed to the seizure of more than $ 32 million in environmental crime proceeds and the training of more than 270 law enforcement officials from more than 40 countries around the world. She stressed that such an initiative reflects the UAE’s belief that sustainable development cannot be achieved without ensuring the safety and stability of all societies, and strengthening cooperation and partnership globally. Al Marzouqi reviewed the latest developments in the strategic partnership between the Ministry of Interior and the United Nations Regional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), which aims to provide protection for children using artificial intelligence applications to facilitate the fight against crimes against children and conduct the necessary investigations to detect and prosecute perpetrators. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has announced projects that have a prominent role in disseminating working methods that have an impact on making the lives of the world’s children. Safer The entities participating in the initiative reached more than 580 entities from 106 countries around the world who benefited from 80 artificial intelligence applications that serve the protection of children around the world, including reducing the time to detect child victims. Among the most prominent projects launched by the initiative is a set of training courses for all those working in areas related to law enforcement. In May 2023, the first specialized training courses in the field of artificial intelligence for safer children began, and to date, 7 training courses were held, in which 415 officers and employees of executive agencies from 20 countries participated. She pointed to the UAE’s role as a responsible global partner in achieving the sustainable development goals through its pioneering efforts in the global humanitarian system, where it provided material and development assistance and exchange of experiences to regions suffering from conflicts, climate-related disasters and other humanitarian disasters. Participating in a session on gender balance, climate, peace and security, held in collaboration with UN Women and the Permanent Mission of Australia to the UN, Lieutenant Colonel Dana Al Marzouqi said: "The relationship between sustainability As the world faces the climate crisis and its growing impacts, we must work to address and reduce environmental crimes such as illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and dumping of toxic waste, which, according to all studies and reports, have far-reaching consequences beyond environmental damage, undermining sustainable development efforts and exacerbating poverty and corruption levels, and often the effects of this on the levels of women’s participation in economic and societal advancement, and lower levels of equality and gender balance Consequently, development in those societies is disrupted. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the main platform of the United Nations on sustainable development issues, and since its establishment in 2012, it has played a pivotal role in following up and reviewing what has been implemented at the country level in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This edition of the International Forum is held under the theme "Promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Eradicating Poverty in Times of Multiple Crises: Effectively Implementing Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative Solutions". Delegates participating in this year’s edition of the Forum are working Throughout its session, it has been conducting in-depth reviews of five of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal (1) to eradicate poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal (2) to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Goal (13) to support climate action and call for urgent action to combat climate change and its repercussions; Goal (16) to promote peaceful and inclusive societies to achieve sustainable development, provide justice for all and build effective and efficient institutions; and Goal (17) which focuses on Establish global partnerships to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Follow Ajman News on Google News
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.
The United Arab Emirates has achieved a significant global accomplishment by entering the top 10, securing the 10th position globally in the overall ranking as one of the best countries in the world in the "World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2021," published by the world Competitiveness Center (WCC) affiliated with the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
In doing so, the UAE topped the MENA Region, not only ranking first regionally the UAE surpassed leading countries globally such as Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan, and Belgium. This achievement is notable during a period marked by major global challenges that significantly impacted economies worldwide. The UAE managed to make significant strides in various indicators in the report.
New achievement
Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the UAE’s Competitiveness Council, Mohammed Abdullah Al Garqawi, said that the UAE’s entry into the Top 10 globally in the World Digital Competitiveness Report 2021, is one of the most important global competitiveness reports, and represents a new achievement in its journey towards establishing the UAE’s position as one of the best countries World.
He added, "The country has demonstrated its exceptional ability to overcome challenges and turn them into inspiring opportunities, thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the State, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the State, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, which enhances the country’s ability to achieve positive results in various competitiveness reports and indicators, making it one of the most competitive countries in the world."
His Excellency continued, "This achievement adds to the UAE’s track record in the global competitiveness journey, keeping pace with the significant developments and the new methodology of government work witnessed by the country. It reflects the government’s aspirations for the future, embodying its strategic goals aimed at achieving further progress and prosperity on all fronts. It also reinforces the UAE’s leadership in global competitiveness indicators."
Digital Transformation
H.E. Omar Sultan AlOlama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, stated that the government of the UAE supports innovative projects that enhance the concept of innovation and reinforces strategic partnerships and digital initiatives in both the public and private sectors.
He affirmed that the new achievement of the UAE reaching the 10th position globally in the report among the best countries in this field is a result of the leadership’s vision that prioritizes a knowledge-based economy and embraces smart solutions and innovative digital initiatives among its current priorities and future plans.
He added that the UAE government adopts a policy of digital transformation that enhances the efficiency of smart platforms and contributes to the successful implementation of projects in the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence, which positively impacts both the government and society.
Ready For The Future
In the same vein, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, Sarah AlAmiri affirmed that the government of the UAE embraces advanced technology and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies as a fundamental axis in its future-oriented directions. This reflects the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to develop an integrated technological infrastructure based on innovation and digitization, supporting the state’s efforts in preparing for the next fifty years.
Her Excellency praised the progress achieved by the UAE in the "Global Digital Competitiveness Report," securing the fifth position globally in the Technology Framework Index. She highlighted the qualitative leap in the Digital and Technological Skills Index, with the country advancing seven positions to rank 10th globally.
Vision 2021
H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar The Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, stated that the significance of the results achieved by the UAE in the "World Digital Competitiveness Report 2021" lies in the timing, aligning with the accomplishment of the ‘UAE Vision 2021’ to be among the best countries globally.
He added, ‘This result comes to confirm that, with the guidance of our leadership, we have achieved digital transformation goals in successive stages until now. This encourages us and strengthens our determination to move towards new heights and achievements in the next fifty years, God willing.
Work Style
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity of the UAE Government, that the digital transformation witnessed by the country touches all aspects of life in the state’s society. It has become a culture and a working style in the UAE government. With the technological progress in our world today, digital security has become an integral part of the national security of advanced countries. Innovation, adaptability, and the ability to renew play a crucial role in protecting digital societies and proactively addressing any cyber threats.
Al Kuwaiti affirmed that the UAE is moving steadily according to the ‘Plan 50,’ aiming to be among the best countries in the world in various sectors through insightful vision, an effective government, and the capability to flexibly and efficiently deal with future changes. This enhances its position regionally and internationally within the most competitive knowledge-based economies globally.
H.E. Hanan Ahli, acting director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, expressed her sincere thanks to the strategic partners in the federal and local government entities, national statistical centers, and private sector partners.
She emphasized that the UAE government attaches great importance to the role of effective partnerships between federal and local government entities and the private sector to support the competitiveness file.
Global Leadership In 4 Indicators
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has secured the top spot globally in four indicators in the report: "Cybersecurity," "Net Inflow of International Students," "Resilience of Residence Laws," and "Wireless Broadband Subscriptions."
Additionally, the country has claimed the second position worldwide in indicators such as "Availability of Global Expertise," "Presence of International Experts," and "Globalization Trends."
Furthermore, it has achieved the third position globally in indicators such as "City Management," "Companies’ Use of Big Data and Analytical Tools," and "Availability of Opportunities and Absence of Threats."
Significant Leaps by the UAE
The United Arab Emirates has made significant advancements in various indicators, making a leap of 31 positions in one go in the "Internet Users" index, securing the fourth position globally. Furthermore, it achieved a remarkable advancement of 31 positions in the "Percentage of Population with Higher Education" index, attaining the 16th position worldwide.
In addition, the country experienced a leap of 22 positions in the "Subscribers to Mobile Broadband Service" index, ranking 12th globally. It also made a notable jump of nine positions in the "Percentage of Women University Graduates with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees," securing the 10th position globally. These achievements are complemented by numerous other indicators in which the UAE has demonstrated substantial progress.
The country has consistently ranked within the top 10 globally in 25 out of the 52 indicators covered in the report.
The ‘Global Digital Competitiveness Report’ assesses the performance of 64 countries worldwide across three main pillars: Knowledge, Technology, and Future Readiness. The three main pillars are further divided into nine sub-pillars, encompassing a total of 52 indicators. The report methodology relies on 20 opinion survey indicators and 32 statistical data indicators.
UAE Leads in the Arab Region
In this year’s report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the top-ranking Arab country, securing the first position in all main pillars. It achieved the 5th position globally in the ‘Technology’ pillar, the 12th position globally in the ‘Future Readiness’ pillar, and experienced a significant leap of 13 positions in the ‘Knowledge’ pillar, landing at the 18th position globally.
In the nine sub-pillars of the report, the UAE claimed the top spot globally in the ‘Talent’ pillar, advancing four positions from the previous year. It secured the 2nd position globally in the ‘Regulatory Framework’ pillar and the 5th position globally in the ‘Technological Framework’ pillar.
Furthermore, the UAE made a substantial leap of 19 positions in the ‘Education and Training’ pillar, achieving the 25th position globally. It also secured the 10th position globally in two sub-pillars: ‘Workforce Flexibility’ and ‘Information Technology Integration.’
The UAE surpassed countries such as Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, France in the overall rankings.
Chairing the First Meeting of the FCSA Board of Directors in 2019
Dubai, 9 April 2019
Chairing the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) in 2019, H.E. Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of the FCSA Board of Directors, acknowledged the support provided by all members of the FCSA Board of Directors to boost efforts exerted by the FCSA to further improve the UAE’s ranking in global indices and to achieve the goals of the National Agenda 2021.
He pointed out that FCSA has become a regional and global knowledge hub. “FCSA showcases the UAE model in competitive strategies, and how data, initiatives, and innovative methods in providing and disseminating data can support the design and shaping the future.”
“FCSA has become a key resource for decision-makers, officials, and experts from the UAE and abroad who desire to use statistics tools to shape the future with sights set to serve their countries and people. Data is national wealth, so we have to work hard to make use of them to build the future of our coming generations, to realize the vision and guidance of our wise leadership and rise to be among the best countries in the world.”
The FCSA team presented their proposed work plan for the current year, which includes setting up a series of specialized files focusing on a number of areas such as the impact of data on the national agenda indicators and global competitiveness reports, legislation and its role in promoting the UAE’s global competitiveness, SDGs and their relationship with the UAE Vision 2021 and the initiatives includinge race to thefuture and others.
Several projects and initiatives based on advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence were also presented. An innovative analytical tool based on geospatial information systems (GIS) was also introduced. Additionally, some innovative services such as the compilation, analysis, and classification of satellite images using machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques were also introduced.
Members of the FCSA Board of Directors praised the efforts of FCSA’steam and the relevant initiatives. They recommended focusing on national and international indicators, especially those related to the National Agenda 2021. They also stressed the importance of cooperating and collaborating with the competent task forces of the federal government entities concerned with the national agenda by providing statistical data and competitive indicators in respect of each body and its terms of reference.
The meeting ended with an open discussion between members of the Board of Directors and the FCSA task team, where several ideas and proposals related to the FCSA 2019 operational plan were tackled. They underlined the importance of working together with all partners and cooperating with federal and local government agencies, private sector companies, international institutions, and society to achieve the vision of the UAE 2021.
The FCSA Board of Directors is chaired by the Minister of the Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates, and includes 18 members; namely H.E. Minister of Economy, H.E. Minister of Health and Community Protection, H.E. Minister of State for Financial Affairs, H.E. Minister of Health and Industry, H.E. Minister of Education, H.E. Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, H.E. Minister of Community Development, H.E. Minister of State for Happiness and Quality of Life, H.E. Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, H.E. Secretary General of the Office of H.H. Minister of Interior, H.E. Acting Director General of Identity in the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, H.E. Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security, H.E. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi, H.E. Secretary General of Dubai Executive Council, H.E. Director General of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, H.E. Secretary General of the Ajman Executive Council, HE Secretary General of Umm Al Quwwain Executive Council, H.E. Director of Fujairah Emiri Diwan and H.E. Secretary General of the Ras Al Khaimah Executive Council.
Dubai (Union) – The UAE has achieved a new global achievement by being among the best countries in the world in government digital transformation, to be the only Arab country in this group, in the Government Digital Maturity Report "GovTech" issued by the World Bank for the year 2021, which measures the levels of maturity of digital transformation and reliance on modern technology in conducting work in the government sector in 198 countries around the world. The report divided the countries included into 4 groups, the first of which was Group A, which included "the global leaders in government technology maturity", which included 43 countries, including the UAE, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Britain, France, and Japan, which were ranked "very high" in the maturity of technology adopted in government digital transformation processes, as countries in this category had innovative solutions and distinguished practices. Group B includes countries that have achieved a "high" rank in government technology maturity and have large investments and good practices in government technology in most of the report’s themes, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Russia, China, Jordan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Ireland. The third group (c) included countries whose governments have improvements in government digital transformation technology and have active efforts in digital government practices, while the fourth group (d) came to express countries with minimal focus on digital government initiatives. UAE Centennial Eng. Majid Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of TDRA said: "The GovTech report from the World Bank represents a new milestone in the UAE’s march towards a sustainable digital future that includes both government and society, in implementation of the UAE Centennial Vision 2071, which was defined by our wise leadership. These include a forward-looking government, a diversified knowledge economy, and a more cohesive society." He added: "This achievement represents a natural reflection of the spirit of solidarity and one team that prevailed throughout the digital transformation process at the national level, including the federal and local governments as well as the private sector, and we do not forget the role of society through its active participation through digital platforms in the development of services and policies followed, which ultimately aim to achieve the highest levels of happiness for all in the UAE." Ambitious goals For her part, Hanan Mansour Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, said: "The UAE is proceeding thanks to the vision and directives of the wise leadership for the next fifty years with ambitious goals that foresee the future, and consolidate the culture of excellence in being at the forefront of the countries of the world at various levels, and the digital, technical and scientific excellence of the UAE is a key pillar in its development and economic process." Ahli affirmed: "The UAE’s solutions within Group A, which is ranked the highest globally in the GovTech Digital Maturity Report issued by the World Bank, are new evidence of its leadership regionally and globally in the field of government digital transformation, in addition to its rich balance in global competitiveness reports, as the country ranked first globally in 121 competitive indicators, and first in the Arab world in 496 indicators, despite the rapid transformations in the global competitiveness map and the successive developments in the global economy, which makes The UAE experience is an icon from which to inspire the countries of the region and the world in the march of global competitiveness." Discriminate global The World Bank report based its classification on four main axes: "main government systems", "public service delivery", "community participation", and "government enablers for technological transformation", and pointed to the UAE’s global excellence in all axes, under which 48 indicators fall, the UAE achieved the full mark in 31 of them, which qualified it to be in group (A) the highest in the world, which includes countries that obtained a score ranging from 0.75 to 1.00 "full mark" in The maturity of government technologies, the only Arab country to join Group A, and participated with Israel alone in the top of the Middle East and North Africa countries within the same group, achieving a score of 0.80 on the index, knowing that the global average did not exceed 0.52, while countries in other groups obtained a score of 0.74 or less. A pioneering experience The report devoted a special space to reviewing the UAE’s experience in digital transformation, and pointed out that it is one of the most mature countries in the world in the field of digital government services provided to society, and touched on its adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy and the Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The National Innovation Strategy and the UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021. The report pointed out that the digital transformation strategy in the country aims to adopt advanced technologies and use them to convert 50% of government transactions at the federal level to the "blockchain" platform, and expected that government procedures in Dubai will become completely paperless by the end of 2021, which leads to the dispensation of more than one billion papers that were used in government transactions every year. The report concluded by presenting the UAE’s experience by detailing the results obtained in the four axes, and the indicators in which it excelled to exceed global averages, as the country won 0.60 in the "main government systems", noting that the global average is 0.48. The UAE achieved 0.92 in the "Providing Public Services" axis, while the global average did not exceed 0.61, and it won 0.88 in the "community participation" axis, while the global average did not exceed 0.46, and the country achieved 0.79 in the axis of "government enablers for technological transformation", while the global average was 0.53. It is worth noting that the World Bank’s GovTech Digital Maturity Report is the most comprehensive measure For digital transformation in the government sector, as it highlights the most important practices for designing digital transformation projects in the world.
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