Laying the foundation for the next 50 years may seem like a daunting task at first sight, but it is not a goal that is impossible to achieve and the Rulers know that full well. In fact, the word impossible does not exist in the UAE dictionary. Which is why His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was very confident when he announced the new government strategic approach that will lay the foundations of work for the next 50 years.

The new government has its task cut out for it. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum added: “The new government will follow the strategic approach we launched today and the priorities laid by the UAE President in the ‘Principles of the 50’ to adapt to the ever-evolving trends of today’s world and achieve the objectives of the next phase of our development journey.”

The changes are significant. Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

“He will develop new systems of work that meet our new aspirations.”

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid announced that Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini has been appointed Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Abdullah Bin Sultan Bin Awad Al Nuaimi as Minister of Justice and Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar as Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Mariam Almheiri has been appointed Minister of Climate Change and Environment and will also continue overseeing the Food and Water Security file, and Abdullah Muhair Al Ketbi has been appointed Minister of Federal Supreme Council Affairs.

The new government strategic approach comes after “we achieved plans laid out in the UAE Vision 2021 for the last 10 years. Today, the UAE is in leading rankings globally across 100 development indicators and regionally in 470 indicators. We usher into the next 50 years with high ambitions,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

The new UAE government strategic approach is the fulcrum around which all efforts at progress revolve. It will spearhead efforts in accelerating development, setting priorities and adopting projects and budgets.

The new government strategic approach includes fives pillars:

1. The government work will be led by major transformative projects and not just long-term strategic plans.

2. The next cycles of change will be flexible and fast (between six months to two years), unlike the previous strategic cycles which used to last five to 10 years.

3. Priorities for sectors will be determined and followed by identifying clear transformative projects. Ministerial teams will be created to implement these projects and there will be reliance on national talents who have deep understanding of the field and the mechanism of change in determining the new government’s priorities.

4. There will be a shift from individual responsibility of ministries to shared responsibility among the field teams. Performance contracts will be signed with these teams to implement projects.

5. There will be incentives and promotions based on performances of the field teams and their ability to implement the projects set by the Cabinet.

The recently announced ‘Principles of the 50’ are a strategic roadmap crafting the ‘Projects of the 50’, and driving the UAE’s march to deliver a brighter tomorrow with economic security, and social wellbeing for generations to come.

These 10 principles, which chart the UAE’s economic, political and developmental objectives for the next 50 years, are the product of numerous meetings, roundtables and dedicated efforts made in unison with the UAE leadership’s ambitious goals to make the UAE among the best nations in the world.

They are built on deliberate plans and forward-looking visions that leverage elements of the past and the present to shape the future. This evidences how the UAE’s made Emiratis its driving force and the core of its progress and prosperity.