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29 March 2024

Khalifa puts empowerment, well-being, happiness, prosperity as top national priority

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Published
By Wam

Khalifa puts the empowerment of citizens, their well-being, happiness and prosperity as a top national priority in the state’s visions, strategies and policies.

The United Arab Emirates, which is celebrating its forty-third National Day on 2nd December, has risen to a prestigious position among the world’s most modern countries due to the outstanding achievements and developments that have been made in various fields, and because of its special and strong political, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian presence at regional and international levels.

In addition, it has dynamically communicated with countries throughout the world, and succeeded in building strong bridges of cooperation and partnerships in political, investment, economics, commercial, industrial, technological, scientific, educational and health strategies.

The UAE, thanks to the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been ranked the 12th most competitive nation in the world, according to the latest Global Competitiveness Report released last September by the World Economic Forum in Davos for the year 2014-2015, rising seven positions from the previous year, when it had been in 19th place.

Also, the UAE has moved ahead of countries such as Denmark, Canada and South Korea in the rankings, and has improved its performance according to many indicators.

The report ranks the UAE as the top nation, globally, in terms of security and stability, the absence of organised crime, the quality of its roads, and having one of the lowest levels of inflation, while containing its effects on the economy. It was also rated second throughout the world for the government’s ability to procure the most advanced technologies, the effectiveness of government spending, the quality of its aviation infrastructure and its lack of trade barriers.

The report further emphasised the leading role played by the UAE in the region. It attributed its regional influence to several factors, including winning the bid to host EXPO 2020 in Dubai and the adoption of strategic initiatives to improve the nation’s competitive environment at various levels.

The UAE was ranked first among Middle Eastern countries, and 36th worldwide, in terms of its overall performance by the 2014 Global Innovation Indicator, issued by Cornell University, as well as the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi was named the capital for Arab Innovation due to its applying for 76 international patents for discoveries and inventions between mid-2010 and mid-2014.

Now it has been announced that the UAE seeks to launch the first Arab-Islamic probe to Mars, under the supervision of a UAE national team. The strategic initiative was launched in September 2014 by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announcing the UAE’s entry into the era of space exploration, along with the creation of the Emirates Space Agency.

Additionally, the UAE strengthened its standing on the international stage when it was announced that it had been selected to host the World Energy Summit 2019 in Abu Dhabi, along with being granted membership of the board of the International Telecommunication Union, for the third time in a row, and membership of the Radio Regulation Council, one of the highest councils within the Union, as well as being chosen to host the twentieth conference of the International Telecommunication Union, to be held in 2018.

These achievements were accomplished due to the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as the close collaboration and cooperation of Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Their Highnesses The Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, and General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, along with the Crown Princes of the Emirates, as well as due to the sincere efforts of citizens and their absolute confidence in the nation’s leadership.

The support of the nation was further confirmed by the Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 of the World Economic Forum, in which the UAE was ranked third among 148 countries in the world in terms of the people’s confidence in their political leadership.

The United Arab Emirates also  topped the list of Arab countries, and was ranked 14th worldwide, in the second UN World Happiness and Satisfaction survey, announced in 2013.

On the occasion of the 2014 UAE Flag Day in November, and the celebration of the tenth anniversary of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan taking over the reins of government, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, praised the great achievements that have been accomplished due to the wisdom of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, noting that, "It is much greater than the language of numbers and statistics."

Sheikh Mohammed added that, "The ten years of his rule passed with quick developments, great achievements, deep wisdom, and a clear vision."

The President's wise leadership has included a package of initiatives and decisions that embody his strategic visions for "consolidating the culture of citizenship and deepening the love of the homeland and the confirmation of loyalty to it, as well as promoting cohesion and communication between the people and their leadership".

Believing that housing is the basis of psychological, social and economic stability for families, and as part of the quest to provide a stable and dignified life for every citizen, these included a new integrated housing project which seeks to build ten thousand housing units throughout the state, noting that "Whereby the Committee that follows the initiatives shall ensure the immediate coordination with the concerned federal and local authorities, in order to accelerate the implementation of the project and achieve its goals, thus creating suitable conditions for the emergence of community members in a healthy family environment, seeking social stability, cohesion and compassion among themselves."

The Initiatives committee has already begun implementation of this programme by conducting surveys of dwellings built before 1990, as the first step to replacing and building residential villas across the country, at a cost of Dh10 billion.

On the forty-second National Day on 2nd December, 2013, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa also announced an additional Dh20 billion to spend on business initiatives including the construction of 10 housing projects for citizens throughout the country.

Additionally, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Humanitarian Foundation provided support for students in the academic year 2013-2014 and in-kind assistance for the seventh consecutive year to about 33 thousand students in over 600 public schools and higher education institutions, both within and outside the UAE.

The President puts human development and encouragement of the energies of citizens and human resources at the forefront of the priorities of the national strategies for action, saying, "The homeland without citizens has no value or benefits from it, whatever the land, including its wealth and resources."

As part of his efforts to empower citizens, he has established the establishment of the Khalifa Fund for Empowerment, to provide the necessary support and financial resources, programmes and policies to encourage people to join the labour market, especially the private sector. This is intended to help them take up job opportunities by providing funding for a package of incentives that contributes to achieving this goal.

Another initiative has been the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. The fund aims to create a generation of entrepreneurs and citizens, to instill and deepen investment in the youth culture of the citizens, as well as to support and develop small and medium-sized investments in the State. The Fund provides integrated and holistic programmes that meet the needs and requirements of young investors.

The keenness of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa on the empowerment of women is reflected in his assertion that, "The state has focused, since its creation on 2nd December, 1971, on the promotion of women and empowering them to play a natural role as participants in an active process of sustainable development."

Emirati women have proven to be worthy of this trust and have also performed well wherever they have been employed, giving their participation in public life a positive sense and social dimension.

As a result of this, the UAE has assumed first place in the Middle East and North Africa in terms of gender equality when measured in rates of quality of education, economics, political, and contributions to health care indicators, according to a report of the World Economic Forum in 2013.

The UAE has assumed, thanks to its foreign policies and generous assistance in the humanitarian and diplomatic fields, a prominent place in the world. Its numerous humanitarian initiatives have gained the country the respect of the international community.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said in this regard, "The respect enjoyed by the United Arab Emirates on the international level is the result of the fixed principles of our foreign policy, and this approach continues to be based upon those of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation, may God rest his soul, which are founded on the State's obligations as part of  the Gulf, Arab, and Islamic worlds, its commitment to strengthen and expand its friendship with all countries in the world, the observance of good neighbourliness and respect for the sovereignty of States, their territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs, and to seek to resolve disputes by peaceful means, along with our commitment to the UN Charter and international laws and conventions".

A key part of the UAE's foreign policy, he has said, is its work in the humanitarian field.

"Humanitarian diplomacy is one of the main pillars of our foreign policy, and our state will continue to play a central role in supporting international efforts to confront crises and disasters and to meet distress calls, and to continue being a global role model in providing investments, grants and concessional loans to developing countries, so as to achieve a sustained economic growth and provide them with stability, and to ensure their children have more job opportunities."

The UAE is globally ranked among the most generous nations in the field of foreign aid donors, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development for 2013. The foreign aid provided by the UAE since its creation on 2nd December, 1971 until the year 2012, amounted to more than US$166.70 billion, to approximately 137 countries throughout the world, including humanitarian aid and soft loans or non-refundable grants.

Furthermore, the UAE took first place in 2014 among the largest donor countries, compared to gross national income in 2013. Humanitarian and relief assistance amounted to more than US$5.2 billion. The amount of aid provided by the UAE to refugees in various countries of the world from 2009 until mid-2014 reached some AED2.6 billion and has been directed to refugees and internally displaced people in over 70 countries throughout the world. It also contributed to the support of the international community's efforts, donating AED8.9 billion over the past three years to programmes designed to eradicate poverty around the world.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa believes that humanitarian work is a moral responsibility and duty that embodies the collaboration between peoples and nations. The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Humanitarian Foundation, founded in 2007, has  become a leader in serving humanity on a global level. Its projects have included the construction of hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, orphanages, assisting persons with disabilities, water projects, electricity projects, as well as infrastructure and development projects. Work is currently under way in dozens of countries, including Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Djibouti, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Seychelles, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Haiti, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, China and the Philippines.

Its activities are particularly focused on the fight against poverty, hunger, assistance during emergencies, the development of vulnerable communities facing challenges and, most importantly, education and health.

One important recent project is the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Mosque in Jerusalem, the second-biggest mosque in Palestine, opened on 9th November, 2014. The six-storey mosque can accommodate thousands of male and female worshipers.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is firmly committed to the eradication of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whatever its justifications and motives. He has stressed the importance of concerted international and regional efforts to address this serious scourge and has emphasised that the UAE will continue, with others, to work for its eradication. In August 2014, he issued the Counter-Terrorism Crimes Law, which consists of 70 articles to combat all forms and activities of terrorist crimes, and ensure deterrent penalties, including the death penalty, against elements which cause terror among the people and threaten their security and stability.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan firmly believes in the values of tolerance and moderation and  cultural co-existence, making the UAE community a pioneering model of tolerance, human coexistence and respect for the values of other faiths and cultures.

In pursuit of this, he donated to Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, AED155 million to finance projects and programmes to to explain Islamic principles based on tolerance and the spirit of moderate values.

During 2014, the American magazine, ‘Forbes’, chose, for the second year in a row, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa as one of the Top 40 Most Influential Persons in the world, ranking him 37th overall and second amongst Arab leaders.

The magazine said that the selection of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due to his wise leadership of the UAE in light of current regional and international circumstances, particularly in the maintenance of security in the region, and the safety of the people of the UAE, as well as in its achieving development that is reflected in all economic aspects of the country.