Public-private dialogue reinforces UAE’s partnership-driven model of growth

On Day 0 of the UAE Government Annual Meetings, a high-level dialogue bringing together government and business leaders was held - marking the first session of its kind to be integrated into the three-day event.

The session, titled the UAE Government & Business Dialogue for Action, connected private-sector innovation, networks, and know-how with government priorities.

The initiative aimed to co-create practical, time-bound recommendations to accelerate UAE growth and competitiveness, reflecting the UAE’s long-standing commitment to partnership-based progress.

Taking place on the eve of the UAE Annual Government Meetings, the dialogue provided a dedicated platform for the private sector to engage with government leaders for the first time within this national forum.

The Dialogue brought together senior figures, including senior government officials, and private sector CEOs, for in-depth exchanges across four strategic themes: Investment Scalability, Trade Growth and Supply Chains, Frontier Technologies, and Impact Investment, each critical to ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth.

The Dialogue underscored broad alignment between the public and private sectors on the importance of continuous engagement and shared accountability in achieving national goals.

The UAE’s economic resilience provided a strong backdrop for the discussions, with non-oil sectors now accounting for more than three-quarters of national GDP, reflecting steady progress toward the country’s diversification and competitiveness targets under ‘We the UAE 2031.’

By nurturing this model of multi-stakeholder collaboration, the UAE continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most dynamic business hubs. The "UAE Government & Business Dialogue for Action” established a platform for ongoing coordination between government and enterprise, setting the stage for future engagements that will institutionalise this approach across sectors.

Commenting on the discussions, Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, said: "The UAE’s success has always been built on partnership, between strategy and execution, policy and enterprise. Today’s Dialogue reinforced that progress is not achieved in isolation, but through consistent collaboration that combines long-term vision with innovation and delivery. As we continue to diversify our economy and expand global partnerships, maintaining this rhythm of dialogue between the public and private sector will be essential to sustaining the UAE’s growth trajectory.”

The Dialogue concluded with consensus on the importance of sustaining this spirit of engagement through structured, solutions-oriented collaboration, ensuring that today’s discussions translate into continued progress in the months ahead.

The UAE Government Annual Meetings convene federal and local entities to align programmes and targets for national development, bringing the private sector into this process-enabled market insight, innovation, and on-the-ground experience to inform policymaking at the highest level.

This exchange between decision-makers and practitioners encouraged open, solutions-oriented dialogue focused on accelerating delivery and impact.

WAM