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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
UAE’s National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) discussed national efforts to achieve objectives of the Sustainable Development agenda 2030, outlining the third phase of the national data plan, mechanisms to enhance integration across sectors to ensure sustainability goals, and reviewed UAE’s progress indicators in implementing development goals.
This took place during a committee meeting chaired by His Excellency Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, Chair of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals. Also present were Her Excellency Maria Hanif Al Qassim, Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Economic Studies at the Ministry of Economy; Her Excellency Eng. Alia Abdul Rahim Al Harmoudi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE); His Excellency Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP); and Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC).
Abdulla Lootah emphasised that the UAE continues its approach in contributing to global dialogue to define sustainable development priorities far beyond the 2030 phase, based on its belief in ensuring a sustainable future for humanity and unifying efforts to achieve a qualitative leap in sustainable development.
He stated that the UAE represents a leading global model in adopting and translating sustainable development goals into tangible reality through a proactive vision that combines national ambition and global responsibility. The Committee supports this approach by focusing on the importance of unifying efforts and ensuring alignment of strategies with development needs and strategic goals, intensifying efforts to achieve national priorities, enhancing future sustainability foresight, and ensuring alignment of national strategies across sectors with global trends.
Global Goals Achievement Updates
The UAE’s National Committee on SDGs reviewed the progress and stages of achieving sustainable development goals at the national level. Committee members emphasised the importance of enhancing data and improving its quality through integrated systems to automate reporting processes on goal achievement, focusing on adhering to internationally approved standards and methodologies, and strengthening the UAE’s approach in sharing insights and experience exchange that positively impact sustainable development futures at community and global levels.
Committee members discussed their team efforts and mechanisms for observing global goal achievement and periodic review with working teams to monitor progress levels, internationally approved standards and methodologies implementation, and linking improvement plans with targeted timelines to ensure a qualitative leap in sustainable development data abundance according to the highest standards of accuracy, transparency, and efficiency.
Future Directions
The General Secretariat of the UAE’s National Committee on SDGs reviewed the highlights of the XDGs 2045 Global Survey, conducted during the “SDGs in Action” Forum at the World Governments Summit 2025.
The survey witnessed broad participation from over 50 countries worldwide, highlighting the urgent need to adopt a comprehensive approach in shaping the future outlook, enhancing international cooperation to forge effective partnerships, and unifying efforts in tackling challenges and exploring future opportunities.
Strategic Priorities Beyond 2030
The Committee discussed the UAE’s contributions in sharing visions and driving sustainable development nationally and globally, inspired by the country’s proactive initiative drawn from the legacy of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals 2030, launching the “XDGs 2045” concept in an initiative to foresee the future beyond the 2030 agenda. This initiative included three high-level ministerial meetings, bringing together leaders and government officials at global and national levels in dialogues reaffirming their commitment to shaping long-term strategies for a flexible, comprehensive, and sustainable future towards 2045.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC) continues its strategic efforts to support to support the UAE government’s data ecosystem and implement data governance mechanisms across federal entities in the UAE, enhancing transparency and efficiency in government data management. In this context, the Centre organized a specialized session titled “Government Best Practices in Data Governance ,” with the participation of several leading federal entities in data management. This session is part of the “Data Index” initiatives launched by the UAE government last year under the Data and Digital Government pillar within the “Ada’a” Government Performance Systemaligns with global best practices in statistics and data management. Its aim is to enhance government performance efficiency and mature data in federal entities.
The session witnessed active participation from over 100 data officials representing 35 federal entities. During the session, various federal entities such as Central Bank of the UAE; Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP); as well as Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MOHRE), presented their pioneering experiences in data governance and management. This included highlighting data policies and alignment mechanisms with national and international standards, ultimately contributing to greater efficiency in data management and more effective support for decision-makers. The session served as a platform for exchanging experiences and enhancing national capabilities in adopting advanced models in statistics and data, aligning with the UAE’s aspirations in digital transformation, and supporting a culture of continuous development and innovation in data management to strengthen institutional integration and empower data officials to play leading roles in shaping the future of government data and statistics.
His Excellency Mohammed Hassan, Executive Director of the Statistics and Data Sciences Sector at FCSC, emphasized the significance of the session as a milestone in the development efforts of the national “Data Index,” providing an opportunity to review achievements of federal entities, discuss key challenges, and anticipate future trends to activate the role of data and statistics in enhancing evidence-based policy-making to serve the public good.
He added, “The ‘Data Index’ reflects the UAE government’s commitment to establish principles of governance and management of government data within advanced regulatory and scientific frameworks, enhancing the country’s position as a global hub in the digital field. The ‘Data Index’ is a key driver in supporting a smart and integrated digital government environment, enabling federal entities to employ data as an effective strategic tool to enhance decision-making and achieve the ambitious developmental agenda of the country.”
Omran Al Shamsi, Director of Labour Market Information at MOHRE, stated that the fundamentals of data governance represent the primary pillar towards enabling digital transformation and decision-making. He added that the ministry has adopted a comprehensive framework for data governance based on international standards like the DAMA framework, including clear policies and standards to define, ensure accuracy, quality, and confidentiality of data, as well as distributing roles and responsibilities among data owners, service providers, and end-users to ensure accountability and transparency at every stage of the data lifecycle.
Al Shamsi highlighted that classifying data according to its sensitivity level – whether it is open, confidential, sensitive, or prohibited – is a crucial part of protecting information and ensuring responsible use. He clarified that the ministry relies on a clear matrix of data access permissions. This approach reflects the ministry’s commitment to enhancing a data culture and providing an institutional environment based on smart governance to improve services and labor market policies in the country.
He also pointed out that “Data Governance” is not merely a technical project but a cultural change that requires institutional commitment at the highest levels. He added that institutions investing seriously in data governance are better equipped to make strategic decisions based on accurate and reliable data. The presentation concluded with practical recommendations to establish a successful data governance framework, including clearly defining data owners and tools for data documentation and quality measurement, and building an institutional culture that enhances the value of data as a strategic asset.
Dr. Alya Harbi, Director of Statistics and Research Center at MOHAP, praised the prominent role played by the FCSC in launching projects aimed at enhancing the quality of statistical data in line with future requirements. This includes strengthening data governance as a fundamental element in shaping government policies and supporting sustainable development paths. She emphasized the importance of data in shaping future visions and measuring performance indicators, contributing to improving the quality of healthcare services and enhancing health planning strategies at the national level.
She highlighted the importance of data integration among various relevant entities and the necessity of establishing effective partnerships in data analysis, which plays a fundamental role in supporting accurate decision-making that contributes to achieving comprehensive development and ensuring fair distribution of resources and services.
In conclusion, she expressed sincere thanks and appreciation for organizing this valuable workshop and for providing the opportunity for the Ministry of Health and Prevention to present its pioneering experience in this field.
The session is part of a series of specialized events and coordination meetings held during the current quarter, with the participation of 264 data management officials from 35 federal entities. Its goal is to provide timely and reliable data and statistics for decision-makers, contributing to supporting the Unified UAE Numbers and achieving effective data-based planning and national statistics.
It is worth mentioning that the “Data Index” was launched last year concurrently with the launch of the “Unified UAE Numbers” project as one of the national projects aimed at advancing and strengthening the country’s statistical system and supporting the country’s development journey across various economic, demographic, social, and environmental sectors, solidifying the UAE’s global leadership in employing data to support decision-making.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC) in the UAE government has launched a new strategic partnership with the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The partnership was formalized during the UAE delegation’s participation in the Saudi Statistics Forum 2025 which aims to strengthen institutional collaboration in the field of statistics and data. The key goals include sharing best practices, enhancing the quality of national data in accordance with international standards, and supporting decision-makers with reliable data that informs policy and benefits society.
The MoU was signed in the presence of His Excellency Nahyan Bin Saif Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Signing parties included Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and His Excellency Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dosari, President of the General Authority for Statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Nahyan bin Saif: Cooperation Reflects Deep Relations and Emphasizes Support for Sustainable Development
His Excellency Nahyan Bin Saif Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, affirmed that the partnership reflects deep fraternal relations between the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It underscores the commitment of both countries to strengthen cooperation in vital areas contributing to sustainable development and future vision based on innovation and data.
Hanan Ahli: Strengthening Regional Leadership in Data-Driven Development
Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli stated, “The cooperation represents a significant step towards strengthening regional leadership in data-driven development, reflecting our joint commitment to promoting statistical excellence, enhancing innovation, and building a future where development relies on the power of data to serve our nations, region, and the world.”
Fahad Abdullah Al-Dosari: Supporting Experience Exchange in Statistical Work Areas
His Excellency Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dosari, President of the General Authority for Statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between statistical institutions in areas of knowledge exchange, experiences and success stories.
Dr. Fahad Al-Dosari also stated “We are pleased to sign this MoU, which will strengthen the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices between our two institutions, advancing the region’s statistical capabilities and cooperation.”
International Statistical Methodologies and Practices Session
As part of the UAE delegation’s participation in the accompanying events of the Saudi Statistics Forum, H.E. Hanan Ahli participated in a panel discussion titled “International Statistical Methodologies and Practices,” highlighting the importance of statistical governance mechanisms amid the rapid transformations in the world of data.
Hanan Ahli highlighted the need for innovative governance models that ensure coordination between government and private entities, protect data integrity, and guarantee its quality and accessibility. She emphasized the UAE’s proactive approach, reflected in initiatives such as the “Data Index,” which empowers government entities to lead in data quality and governance. This approach enhances the UAE’s leadership role in the international statistical community, particularly as a member of the UN Statistical Commission for the 2025–2028 term.
H.E. further showcased the model of statistical governance in the UAE under its federal system, represented by the ‘Data Index’ initiative, one of the most important national initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of government data. The initiative focuses on empowering government entities rather than merely fulfilling their role as a primary data source for statistical entities. This underscores the importance of governance as a fundamental element in the success of coordination frameworks between various federal and local entities, supporting the provision of timely and accurate data directly benefiting decision-makers.
Knowledge Visit
The UAE delegation concluded its visit with a tour of the General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT) headquarters, where they explored best practices in statistical governance, data analytics, and the integration of advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning in policymaking. The visit showed Saudi Arabia’s progress in digital transformation.
The UAE has maintained its leading regional position among countries with “very high human development” advancing 11 places globally, according to the 2025 Human Development Index (HDI) report issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), compared to the 2021/2022 report.
The UAE now ranks 15th globally out of 193 countries covered in the report, surpassing countries such as Canada, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Korea. It is the only Arab country among the top 20 nations, reaffirming its commitment to a development vision that prioritizes people’s wellbeing at the heart of its national policies. This is achieved through an integrated approach that supports key sectors such as health, education, and standard of living, establishing the UAE as a global model for sustainability, human capital development, and inclusive progress, building a future based on opportunities and empowerment.
According to this year’s report titled “A matter of choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI,” the UAE achieved a score of 0.94. Based on the report’s four main indicators, the UAE’s life expectancy at birth reached 82.9 years, aligning with the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) “good health and well-being”. The expected years of schooling reached 15.6 years, with an average of 13 years of schooling, reflecting the fourth SDG goal “quality education”. The Gross National Income (GNI) per capita amounted to $71,142, reflecting to the eighth SDG goal “decent work and economic growth”.
AbdulRahman Al Owais: People’s Health at the Core of UAE’s Development Priorities
His Excellency AbdulRahman bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, stated that people’s health is at the core of the UAE’s development priorities. He emphasized, “The UAE’s leading position in the 2025 Human Development Index reflects our steadfast commitment to providing an integrated healthcare system, adopting medical innovation, enhancing prevention, and ensuring access to high-quality healthcare services, achieving the UAE’s vision of building a healthy and sustainable future for generations.”
Sarah Al Amiri: Investing in Education is Investing in Humanity
For her part, Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said, “Investing in education is investing in humanity a principle the UAE has upheld since its founding, through flexible educational policies that address global challenges and prepare future generations to compete and innovate. The UAE does not adopt a conventional educational system but invests in thoughtful Emirati minds armed with knowledge, qualified to lead a flourishing future in the era of AI and cognitive transformation.”
Hanan Ahli: Human-Centric Plans and Policies
Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), stated that the UAE has established a unique development model that places people at the center of all plans and policies, relying on healthcare, education, and innovation as pillars for a prosperous and comprehensive future. She pointed out that progress in the HDI report affirms that the UAE’s development policies are proactive and data-driven, prioritizing not only economic growth but also wellbeing, enhancing its position as a global leader in sustainable development.
UAE Ranks Third Globally for Net AI Talent Migration The HDI Report highlighted AI tools and their growing impact on human development pathways, amidst slowing development progress and widening gaps between high and low-development countries. It emphasized the need for adaptive, human-focused policies that place health, education, and standard of living at the core of national strategies, recognizing human capital as the key to navigating the digital transformation era.
The report further showed that the UAE recorded the third highest global net migration rate through the LinkedIn platform for AI skills in 2023, underscoring its ability to attract world-class expertise and its status as a global hub for future skills. It further clarified that high-income countries like the UAE achieve net gains in specialized skills, while low to medium-income countries face losses, indicating the dominance of advanced economies in attracting and retaining expertise. It calls for building a collaborative economy where humans and AI work in tandem, focusing on empowering individuals with knowledge and technology to enhance their capabilities and skills, ensuring comprehensive, sustainable development and a prosperous future for all.
The HDI Report has been published annually by the UNDP since 1990, the Human Development Index is a composite measure that evaluates the quality of life in societies worldwide through three main dimensions: health, education, and standard of living, including four indicators: life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling, mean years of schooling, and Gross National Income per capita.
The UAE has achieved a new qualitative milestone that reflects its global leadership in adopting the principles of digital government and open data. The country ranked 10th globally in the 2024/2025 Open Data Inventory (ODIN) report, issued by Open Data Watch (ODW), surpassing major countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and the United States. The report, released biennially by ODIN, evaluates the comprehensiveness and openness of data published on the national statistical offices’ websites in 197 countries, covering vital sectors including economic, financial, social, and environmental statistics, making it one of the leading specialized global reports.
The report ranks countries based on 64 indicators that measure the availability and accessibility of statistical data shared through official open data platforms. It assesses whether countries meet international standards of openness, including criteria such as machine-readability without restrictions, availability of descriptive metadata, and broad geographic coverage.
The UAE ranked first globally in several indicators, including Money and Banking, Food Security and Nutrition, and the Price Index and Inflation, in which the country advanced 45 places. The UAE also ranked second globally in International Trade and Education Outcomes, with a notable leap of 54 places, in addition to strong performance in indicators related to environment, health, and gender statistics.
Majed Al Mesmar: UAE Enhances its Position as a Global Knowledge-Based Decision-Making Platform
His Excellency Engineer Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), said: “This achievement reaffirms the UAE’s commitment to an ambitious futuristic vision integrating digital policies with comprehensive development efforts, by establishing a robust digital infrastructure based on open data as a tool for community empowerment, enhancing global competitiveness, and fostering an innovation culture built on data.” He added that the UAE strengthens its position as a global platform for knowledge-based decision-making and a leader in comprehensive digital transformation regionally and globally. This achievement also reflects the empowering role played by TDRA in strengthening the country’s digital readiness through developing legislative and regulatory frameworks, supporting national policies on open data, and providing digital infrastructure to ensure integration among government entities, solidifying the UAE position as a global reference in adopting concepts of digital government, transparency, and data-driven innovation.
Hanan Ahli: UAE’s Progress Embodies a Leading Model for the Government of the Future
Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), affirmed that the UAE’s progress in the ODIN Report 2024/2025 embodies a pioneering model for the government of the future, based on transparency, openness, and utilizing data as a strategic tool to drive comprehensive development.
She stated, “This achievement represents the foresighted vision of the UAE and continuous investment in building a flexible and advanced statistical system based on digital readiness, contributing to strengthening the country’s global competitiveness, supporting key directions in enhancing integration between government entities, contributing to future planning in various vital sectors, policy development, enhancing community participation, and solidifying the UAE’s position as a leading model in adopting concepts of digital government and open data.”
Open Data
Open data refers to publicly accessible data and statistics that can be used, reused, distributed, and shared freely by individuals and organizations. Governments worldwide provide such data online without restrictions to access. In the current report, the UAE scored 92 points for openness and 74 points in data coverage, resulting in an overall score of 84 points in the report.
The UAE was ranked first regionally and 16th globally, maintaining its lead among the top 20 competitive economies in the world, according to the recent version of the Global Competitiveness Report 2016 issued by the World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland.
The report is one of the most important global competitiveness reports, which monitors annual performance and competitiveness of the economies of countries in terms of strength, weakness, impact on quality of life, prosperity and well-being of people.
Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairperson of the Board of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said that the UAE positions itself on the world stage, thanks to the efforts of the federal and local taskforces who are working as one team under one vision for 2021, and others in this respect.
She added that these taskforces work in accordance with the plans and strategy and subject to continuous evaluation and development in line with the aspirations of the wise leadership to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2021 with the advent of the golden jubilee on the establishment of the Union.
This year’s report surveys the economies of 138 countries rated through 114 performance indexes and in 12 basic axis, including institutions, infrastructure, education, health, innovation, efficiency of the labour market and other topics. Evaluation is based on statistics and data from participating countries in the report in terms of opinion polls and surveys on executives and major investors in those countries.
The UAE was ranked in the first 10 positions globally in three basic themes in the report. It is also among the best 20 countries globally in half of these axes. The UAE came in third place globally in the axis of efficient goods market, which is the sign of success of the diversification policy of the economy in the state, clarity of vision and strategic plans on the performance and efficiency of the business market.
It also came in fourth place globally in the infrastructure hub. This is an indication of activity in infrastructure projects across the country and its role in supporting the UAE economy in all areas and sectors, making it an attractive environment for investment and business at the regional and global level.
High-performance and efficient government institutions
At the level of indicators, the UAE was ranked among the 20 countries globally in 76 out of 114 indicators evaluated in this report. Regarding the institutions, the UAE was ranked first globally in the absence of the impact of crime and violence at work index, and second place globally in the people’s trust in the leadership and lack of wasteful government spending indexes.
The UAE was ranked in the third place globally in the efficient government index. This reflects the success of the leadership strategy and steps taken toward achieving the high performance and efficiency in the government work at the federal and local levels to ensure the happiness of citizens and residents and well-being on the territory of the state.
World-class infrastructure
On the infrastructure, the UAE has won the first place globally in the road quality index and second place globally in the airport infrastructure and means of air transport quality index. It also came in the third place globally in the seaport infrastructure quality and rate of mobile phone subscriptions per 100 users indexes. The UAE was ranked in the fourth place in the global index of quality of infrastructure and fifth in the index of number of airline seats available for each million passengers a week.
This performance reflects the huge investments made by the state to develop and improve the infrastructure in terms of extending road network, building new airports and the expansion of existing airports, the development of seaports and plans to link the UAE rail network within the Union Railway project.
Mature and sophisticated markets
In tribute to the development of the UAE market at various levels, the report reveals the UAE has been ranked in many of the first places in each of goods market efficiency and the labor market efficiency indexes. The UAE was ranked first globally in the lack of impact of taxes on investment index. And the second place globally on the lack of the tax impact on the labour market and the ability of the state to attract international skills indexes. The UAE also came third place in the global index of lack of tariff barriers and the ability of the state to retain the World skills.
Technological development and innovation
On the readiness of the technology sector, the maturity of the business sector, and higher education and training areas, the UAE has achieved the first position globally in the index of the government spending on new technologies” and the second place globally in the index of provision of specialised trade zones (free zones), and the third place in the global index of foreign direct investment and technology transfer to the state. The state was also ranked fourth globally in the index of the Internet connection to the schools and fifth place in the global index of availability of scientists and engineers in the state.
The Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland, is one of the world’s most important reports and issued since 1971, and aims to help countries around the world to identify the obstacles to sustainable economic growth and development of strategies to reduce poverty and increase prosperity. It assesses the countries abilities to provide high levels of prosperity and well-being of their citizens. The report also provides a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and challenges facing the economies of countries.
Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Authority Launch “Emaratiyah… UAE’s Inspiring Women” Book A book that tells the success stories of inspiring Emirati women achievers who had a valuable contribution to the progress and development of the nation
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairwoman of the Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Authority (FCSA) unveiled “Emaratiyah … UAE’s Inspiring Women”, a special edition book that documents the journey of 24 inspiring Emirati women who contributed to the development of the UAE and prospered in different domains of life such as economic, cultural, scientific and social. The featured women personalities in the book attended the launch event that took place in Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel in Dubai today, along with the independent judging panel that worked on the selection criteria, media representative and FCSA team members who worked on the production of the book project.
Her Excellency Al Hashimi welcomed the attending audience with a special keynote, and extended congratulations to the leadership of the UAE headed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and their highnesses the Rulers and Crown Princes of the Emirates on the occasion of the Emirati Women’s Day.
Her Excellency Al Hashimi also extended congratulations to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
Minister Al Hashimi expressed her excitement and privilege to take part of this special day dedicated to celebrate the great accomplishments, achievements and contributions of Emirati women.
In her address, Her Excellency stressed that women empowerment has always been one of the key indicators of a nation’s social and economic progress and development. She also highlighted that societies simply cannot sustain a comprehensive development agenda without the full and active participation of women in the community. Her Excellency also indicated that the role of the Emirati women has rapidly expanded and evolved since the establishment of the union and Emirati women contributions and clear marks are visible on all aspects of UAE life.
Quoting His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum note on how UAE enables its society via the empowerment of women, Her Excellency asserted that Emirati women’s journey towards success and prosperity in the UAE was inked by the principles laid by the country’s leadership; underlined by true belief and conviction of the significant importance of women’s role as a key partner in building the future of the country.
Abdulla Lootah, Director General of the FCSA pointed out that the FCSA produced that book following direct instructions of Her Excellency Al Hashimi and in recognition and appreciation of the role of the Emirati women in supporting the UAE’s competitiveness in both individual and institutional levels. The book documents the journey of a group of inspiring Emirati women that contributed to the development of the nation and progress in so many different fields and domains such as economic, social, cultural, scientific and entertainment, and achieved ranks and accomplishments that are in par with the most advanced nations in the world.
The UAE Women’s Day is a celebration of the mother, sister and wife. A celebration of women who gave birth and fondle sponsored and carried the worries of the nation, taking responsibility and excelled in giving back to her family, society and country. These are some of the achievements translated in numbers and statistics:
- There are 8 ministers in current UAE cabinet. Making up 27.5% of ministerial roles.
- Emirati women is currently leading the Federal National Council, the country’s highest legislative authority, along with the occupancy of 9 seats on the council, making its 22.5% of women representation one of the highest in parliamentary bodies in the region.
- There are over 23000 registered businesswomen in the UAE running investment worth AED 42 billion.
- Since joining the labor force, women participation increased by 400%
- Women make up 66% of the public sector workers, with 30% in leadership roles and 15% in technical and academic roles. Also, 44% of leadership roles in Federal entities are taken by women.
- Women in the UAE make up 65% of total higher education graduates, and they have been active participants in previously male-denominated roles such as judiciary, aviation, military and defense and law enforcement.
Dr. Belhoul: Developing an Integrated Educational Ecosystem Supports UAE’s Competitiveness
His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of State for Higher Education, and during a visit to the headquarters of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority in Dubai, stated that the development of the educational ecosystem in the UAE is an ongoing process that is driven by the changes the world is witnessing on the global arena today.
His Excellency also praised the efforts of the FCSA in providing counsel, advice and recommendations aimed at improving the international rankings by providing educational statistical data required according to international standards. The FCSA team presented to the minister a special report and an analysis of a number of global competitiveness and statistical indicators that are related to higher education, as well an analysis of the performance of the UAE in these global reports.
His Excellency directed the FCSA team to continue the collaboration efforts with all federal and local educational institutions, he also stressed that all educational institutions should prioritize the process of provisioning information and statistical data that reflects the performance and development of the educational system in the UAE.
His Excellency also highlighted the importance of developing the educational sector via the training and building the capacity of UAE national talent, and how that consequently can have a positive impact on improving national competitiveness.
The minster indicated that education and building UAE talents is in-line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President and his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The UAE leadership’s vision that aspires for the UAE economy to be driven by innovation, creativity and knowledge. His Excellency also pointed out that the nation has full confidence in the capabilities of every Emirati man and woman, as national talent is the true wealth of the nation.
Abdullah Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority added: "Due to its strategic significance and importance, the FCSA has always worked very closely with officials in the education sector across the UAE. Such collaboration has a direct impact on the country’s performance in competitiveness reports and indicators. The visit of His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi to the FCSA and his direction for further engagement and joint collaboration is a testament to the deep belief in the role of education as one of the most important pillars that support the country’s global competitiveness drive.”
During the meeting, the FCSA team presented methodology analysis of competitiveness reports monitored by FCSA, followed by a discussion on how the quality of education-related data can have an impact on the ranking of the UAE in such reports. For example, the Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum (Davos), includes education as a key indicator under the ‘basic requirements’ and ‘efficiency enhancers’ stages of economic development. This means that nations aiming to shift from the ‘basic requirement’ and ‘efficiency enhancers’ stages and onto the ‘innovation and business sophistication’ stage, must have a globally recognized, strongly established and highly efficient higher education institutions.
The FCSA also monitors other competitiveness reports that measure the competitiveness of the education sector, such as the Annual Competitiveness Yearbook published by the Institute of Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland, the Global Innovation Index by INSEAD Institute and the Human Development Report by the United Nations. In these reports, education related pillars and indicators have a direct impact on the overall outcome of the findings and overall country ranking and scores.
Mr Lootah concluded: "Moving up the ranking in some of the global competitiveness reports and indicators reports is only the beginning for us. We aspire to become among the top a global players in the most significant reports and indicators. And we can only achieve that through successful joint cooperation and effective collaboration with all federal and local government agencies, specifically in matters related to building and maintaining an advanced statistical database that is current, accurate and up to the required global standards"
| Indicator | Report | UAE Global Rank |
|
Quality of the education system |
Global Competitiveness Report (WEF) | 12 |
|
Quality of management school |
Global Competitiveness Report (WEF) | 20 |
|
University education |
World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD) | 20 |
|
Management education |
World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD) | 21 |
Table 1: UAE global ranking in higher education related competitiveness indicators
UAE is leading the Arab region for the fifth consecutive year in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report
- The UAE is among the top 10 countries in the world in five of the main topics of the report: Issuing building permits, Getting electricity, Registering Property and protection of minority investors
- The UAE is first globally in Getting Electricity and Paying Taxes topics
- The UAE achieved the highest jump in Resolving Insolvency with 35 ranks jump from last year’s rank
- UAE jumped 13 ranks becoming 1st regionally and 12th globally in Enforcing Contracts
Dubai, UAE 31st October 2017
The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2018 report revealed today that the United Arab Emirates is ranked 21st globally and is ranked top of Arab countries for the fifth year in a row. Additionally, the report showed that the UAE is ranked in the top ten globally in five of the reports 10 topics. The UAE is first globally in ‘paying taxes’ and ‘getting electricity’ topics, UAE also ranked 2nd globally in ‘dealing with construction permits’ and 10th globally in ‘registering property’ and ‘registering property’. According to the methodology adopted by the World Bank for the current year, the UAE jumped from 26th place globally to 21st, ahead of all countries in the Arab region covered by the report and for the fifth year in a row.
Commenting on this achievement, Her Excellency Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairwoman of Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said that the performance of the United Arab Emirates in this year’s report is the result of months of collaboration, hard work and commitment by both federal and local government entities with the Competitive Strategy team at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. “Our wise leadership has emphasized the strategic importance of building a business environment that attracts investors from within and outside the country. The UAE was built on the forearms of our founding fathers, who worked in trade and welcome traders from all over the world. We will continue on this path to realize the vision of our leadership’s vision for the UAE to become one of the best countries in the world by the centennial of the founding of the State," added her excellency.
His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, stressed the important role played by small and medium enterprises as the infrastructure of any economy around the world. "Each year, the UAE demonstrates its ability to compete globally across various sectors. This is thanks to the guidance of the wise leadership of the UAE and a strategic vision that aims to elevate the UAE to become the best country in the world by 2071," added his Excellency Al Mansouri.
HE Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, praised the efforts exerted by Ministry of Finance teams and the cooperation of both federal and local government entities to improve UAE’s global competitiveness. "The Ministry of Finance has adopted an innovation-driven strategy in its continuous development efforts of all the services extended to individuals and institutions alike. The Ministry also implements best financial management practices to maintain the continuing improvement of the national financial ecosystem and building a stable and sustainable economy characterized by flexibility and diversity. The UAE’s performance as the 21st best globally in the World Bank report is a global testament to the success of the country’s strategy to build an advanced economic infrastructure and financial system that ensures prosperity and prosperity and achieves global leadership. "
His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai and member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said: "We are very excited with the UAE’s progress in this report and achieving 21st position in the world. I am also proud of the role played by Dubai government entities, which represents the UAE in many topics of this report. This accomplishment is attributed to the successful developmental policies adopted by the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and their vision which is built on innovation and the drive to collaborate to achieve national plans, to reach global leading ranks across all fields and sectors."
According to this year’s report, The World Bank’s report acknowledged the country’s efforts to improve procedures and laws related to the process of establishing companies and facilitating procedures for both domestic and foreign investors. The World Bank report this year officially documented four improvements in the following topics: Dealing with Construction permits, Getting Electricity, Access to Credit and Resolving Insolvency.
These improvements are the outcome of the hard work and dedication of over 50 government official and expert who work all year long to with the strategy competitiveness team at the FCSA working on workshops, simulations, paper work and field visits to the World Bank headquarter in Washington DC.
The Doing Business report issued by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Washington and assesses 190 countries that are subject to government measures that affect 10 areas of business life and they are (1) Staring a business, (2) Dealing with construction permits, (3) Getting Electricity, (4) Registering Property, (5) Getting Credit, (6) Protection of minority investors (7) Paying taxes (8) Trading across-borders (9) enforcing contracts and (10) resolving insolvency.
WEF: UAE Tops Arab World and 17th in Global Competitiveness Ranking
- UAE progresses in scores rate from 5.26 to 5.3 in 2017
- UAE ranked among innovation-based economies for the 11th year
- UAE maintains its rank as the best 20 global competitive economies for the fifth consecutive year
- UAE competitiveness rank supersedes advanced economies, like France, Belgium, Australia, South Korea and China
- UAE among first 20 countries globally in 70% of Competitiveness indicators (80 out of 114)
- The annual report is published by World Economic Forum and ranks the competitiveness of 137 countries
Dubai, UAE- 27 September 2017
In its most recent edition of the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, The World Economic Forum (Davos) has revealed that UAE has topped the Arab world and ranked 17th globally in global competitiveness ranking. The report also ranked UAE among the top 20 competitive economies globally for the fifth consecutive year. Additionally, it has indicated that UAE has maintained its ranking to be among the world’s most significant innovation-based economies for the 11th year. The results of the report were unveiled today to participants in the Annual Meetings of UAE Government as a global testament to the success of the Government’s strategy in establishing innovation culture in government institutions and consolidating competitiveness as a performance style and measuring the success of government services and initiatives aimed at realizing the happiness and welfare of the UAE community.
Commenting on the performance of the current year, HE Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairwoman of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority stated: "The results of this year’s competitiveness report came simultaneously with the UAE Annual Government Meeting sessions, marking as a global testament underscoring the importance monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of government services, to ensure they are consistent with guidelines and directions of set His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to adopt innovation-based approaches to maintain the ongoing progress in global competitiveness ranking and to realize our wise leadership’s vision in sustaining development across all sectors in the country".
H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, said that the UAE government has paid great attention to enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE in various fields, working to enhance the framework of a comprehensive vision that contributed to the principles of efficiency in the markets and improving the competences of the business environment. He pointed out that the various structural economic reforms in the UAE in recent years and the legislations and decisions that have taken place in various economic, administrative and institutional aspects have contributed to accelerating the growth of the economic activities of the country, enhancing the strategy of economic diversification and opening up the trade and providing a favorable business environment, confirming the country’s advanced level of competitiveness.
Malik Al Madani, Director of Competitiveness Strategy Department at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said: "By virtue of the wise leadership’s support and consolidation of the team efforts from federal and local entities, as well as the private sector, UAE today affirms its active global role in the world arena across various economic, social and technological sectors. We are working today as one team, under one vision and as per renewed plans and keeping pace with global changes. We will always be in line with our leadership’s aspirations of making UAE as one of the best countries in the world by the year 2021 marking the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of founding the Union."
Global Performance
UAE ranked first in the Arab world and 17th globally in the general competitiveness ranking by advancing in the scores rate of UAE performance from 5.26 in 2016 to 5.3 in 2017. By this achievement, UAE maintained its leading rank to be among the top 20 competitive economies according to the World Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 issued by the World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland. This report is considered one of the most reputable competitiveness reports that monitors on an annual-basis the performance and competitiveness of global economies in terms of strengths, weaknesses and impact on standards of living, prosperity and welfare of their nations.
The 2017-2018 Report monitored 137 economies and ranked them based on performance according to 114 indicators grouped within 12 main pillars that include: institutions, infrastructure, health and primary education, labor market efficiency and others. The report methodology is based on data and statistics issued by the participating countries, as well as opinion surveys and questionnaires sent to executives and senior private sector investors.
According to this year’s report, UAE has achieved an advanced ranking as a result of listing it within the top 10 globally in three main pillars. UAE came third globally in the Goods Market Efficiency Pillar, which is a global indication to the success of UAE’s economic diversification policy and the vision and strategic plans on performance efficiency of the UAE market. Furthermore, UAE came fifth globally in the Infrastructure Pillar, and this comes as a confirmation of the ongoing investment in infrastructure projects across the nation and the role this plays in sustaining UAE economy to become an attractive environment for business and investment. As for the Institution Pillar, which monitors the efficiency of government institutions, laws, and procedures dedicated for individuals and institutions, UAE has clinched the fifth place.
Progress in Most Significant Indicators
On a indicator level, UAE ranked among the top 20 countries in 80 out of total 114 indicators in the Global Competitiveness Report, which amounts to 70% of the indicators in total. The 2017-2018 Report witnessed great strides of the country’s performance in a number of key indicators, the most important of which are as shown in the following table:
| Indicator | Rank 2016 – 2017 |
Rank 2017 – 2018 |
No. of Jumps | |
| 1 | Inflation (Annual % Change) | 83 | 1 | 82 |
| 2 | Strength of Investor Protection | 49 | 9 | 40 |
| 3 | Mobile-broadband subscriptions | 20 | 2 | 18 |
| 4 | Protection of minority shareholders’ interests | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | Efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations | 20 | 13 | 7 |
| 6 | Ease of access to loans | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| 7 | Property rights | 20 | 14 | 6 |
| 8 | Efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | Transparency of government policymaking | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 10 | Diversion of public funds | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Efficient and High-Performing Government institutions
Within the Institutions Pillar, UAE moved to take up the first rank globally in "Efficiency of Government Spending" indicator, and ranked second globally in the "Public Trust in Politicians" and "Burden of Government Regulation" indicators, and ranked third globally in "Protection of Minority Shareholders’ Interests" indicator. All of this reflects the success of the country’s leadership’s strategy and well-founded steps taken to achieve high levels of performance and efficiency in government work at the federal and local levels, and with the aim to ensure the happiness and welfare of UAE citizens and residents.
World-Class Infrastructure
In the Infrastructure Pillar, UAE ranked first globally in the "The Quality of Roads" indicator, third globally in "Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure" and "Mobile-Cellular Telephone Subscriptions", ranked fourth globally for "Quality of overall infrastructure", "Quality of Port Infrastructure" and "Available Airline Seat Kilometres- millions/week" indicators. This performance reflects the success of UAE’s strategy to continue injecting investments for the development and improvement of the State’s infrastructure by extending new internal and external road networks, expanding airports, developing seaports and developing plans to link all emirates through rail networks as part of the Union Railway Project.
Attractive Markets Meeting Global Standards
Lauding the development and progress of UAE marketplace and economy, the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 revealed that UAE achieved advanced positions in various indicators in listed in pillars of "Goods Market Efficiency", "Labour Market Efficiency" and "Macroeconomic Environment". UAE topped the world countries in "Effect of taxation on incentives to invest" and "Inflation/ annual % change" indicators. Also, UAE is ranked second globally in both indices of "Country Capacity to Attract Talent" and "Country Capacity to Retain Talent" came third in "Effect of Taxation on Incentives to Work" indicator.
Technological Development and Innovation
As for the pillars of "Technological Readiness", "Business Sophistication" and "Higher Education and Training", UAE came first globally in the "Government Procurement of Advanced Technology Products" and ranked second in "Mobile-Broadband Subscriptions" indicator. Moreover, the UAE ranked third in both "State of Cluster Development" and "Availability of Scientists and Engineers", and fourth in "FDI and Technology Transfer" indicators.
The World Economic Forum
The Global Competitiveness Report issued by The World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland is one of the world’s most important reports since its first edition published in 1971. The report aims to assist countries around the world to identify obstacles to sustainable economic growth and development of strategies to reduce poverty and increase levels of prosperity. The report assesses countries’ potentials to provide high levels of prosperity and well-being for their citizens. The report also provides a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and challenges facing the economies of countries.
SDGs Talk with HE Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State
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