'Tools change, plans shift, the only constant is serving the people of the UAE:' Sheikh Mohammed

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that proactiveness, future readiness, and strategic planning are key pillars of the distinguished governance model adopted by the UAE government.

This model further strengthens the country's global standing in terms of government efficiency and excellence, supports comprehensive and sustainable development across diverse sectors, and accelerates the achievement of targets to advance national visions and strategies.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "We have launched the new strategic planning cycle for the Federal Government for 2031. This plan prioritises artificial intelligence in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation, and enhanced financial efficiency.

"While in the past government success was measured by regulatory strength and comprehensive procedures, today it hinges on regulatory agility, streamlined processes, and intelligent resource management, a significantly more complex undertaking. Tools and priorities change, but the unwavering commitment to serve the people of the UAE remains constant," he added.

Sheikh Mohammed directed teams across ministries and federal government entities to begin developing government strategies based on more innovative and flexible foundations, incorporating artificial intelligence and future technology solutions to accelerate the achievement of goals outlined under the 'We the UAE 2031' Vision.'

Sheikh Mohammed issued the directives while launching the new strategic planning cycle titled 'Towards Achieving We the UAE 2031 Vision' in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of CaBinet Affairs; and  Huda Al Hashimi, Head of Strategy and Government Innovation for the UAE Government.

The new strategic planning cycle marks a pivotal phase in developing strategic planning methodologies within the federal government, aligning plans for governmental work with the We the UAE 2031 Vision through a more intelligent, agile, and responsive approach to change.

The new cycle involves 38 federal entities and brings together key public officials, including directors of strategy, future planning, and finance.

It adopts the concept of proactive strategic planning as a core component, and is built on key principles including integrating strategic planning with artificial intelligence, simplifying procedures and optimising resource utilisation, activating national initiatives through federal entities' plans, and adopting smart planning to achieve financial efficiency.

In this context, the Prime Minister's Office at the Ministry of CaBinet Affairs organised a strategic workshop attended by directors of strategy from ministries and federal government entities.

The aim was to introduce salient features of the new cycle, which has been shortened from five years to three years to seamlessly keep pace with rapid global changes and ensure the highest levels of flexibility and capability to accommodate regular plan updates - enhancing government readiness and proactiveness in facing challenges.

The workshop discussed the strategic importance of the new planning model as a pioneering step toward building a smarter, more agile, and proactive planning cycle that reinforces the UAE's leadership as a global model for the government of the future. It also supports the ability of government entities to contribute to the realisation of the nation's future vision.

The workshop reviewed the concept of strategic intelligence underpinning the new cycle and its importance as a core component of the government planning system. It highlighted its role in enabling more effective decision-making through the adoption of advanced analytics, accurate data, and future forecasting tools - allowing decision-makers to understand change and develop proactive plans with integrated performance indicators linked to future challenges and opportunities.

The workshop also emphasised the enhancement of performance efficiency and accelerating execution through the updated planning cycle model, which calls for simplifying procedures and reducing administrative requirements, enabling entities to focus on implementing strategic projects rather than daily operational tasks.

Participants explored the main features of the new cycle, including innovation, integration among entities, and future readiness, by promoting collective thinking and close cooperation between strategy and finance directors to ensure policy and project alignment with national vision objectives.

The workshop also reviewed the efforts of federal entities to translate the objectives of the We the UAE 2031 Vision into actionable national initiatives and strategies that contribute to building a prosperous and sustainable future. It highlighted several major strategies launched in recent months, most notably the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the National Investment Strategy.

Participants discussed the importance of adoption of new models based on proactive planning and big data analysis to enable entities to anticipate changes and respond to challenges with speed and efficiency.

Huda Al Hashimi, Head of Strategy and Government Innovation for the UAE Government, outlined key efforts by federal entities to translate the goals of the We the UAE 2031 Vision into tangible national initiatives and strategies that contribute to building a prosperous and sustainable future. On the occasion, she also recalled various national strategies introduced during the previous planning cycle that had actively boosted future planning, bringing along significant national benefits.

WAM