Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, wrote an open letter to the people of the UAE after his 15 years of leadership.
The letter was issued as he completed 15 years as the Head of the UAE Government. He reminisces on the challenges he confronted and how he overcame them. The letter is filled with optimism and hope for UAE’s next phase!
He begins by saying: “Brothers and sisters, people of the UAE…”; some care and appreciation at the beginning not only to his people but also to his country as a whole. He includes in his letter many aspects such as the governmental services, his investments in reforms, failure warnings, and the lessons learned from his 15 years of leadership.
Fifteen years ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin-Rashed was selected to be in charge of the federal government. A year after he became the head of the UAE Government, he announced the first federal strategy while in 2009 he announced the 2021 UAE Vision and they set a goal to be one of the top countries in the world.
One of the very first things he worked on was redefining the governmental services; he established the principles of strategic planning in the government, carried out the biggest legislative reforms in the country by issuing more than 50 new laws to help adapt to the future. As a team, they restructured the government several times to keep pace with the rapidly-changing world, doubled the federal budget by 130 %, and boosted the competitiveness so that UAE ranks the first globally in 121 indicators across various fields. That’s not it; the UAE government was ranked second in the world in financial efficiency.
Now let us spam you with some of UAE’s top rankings and achievements mentioned in Sheikh Mohammed’s letter:
Regarding the economy, it is the second biggest in the Arab world, and the UAE specifically is ranked first regionally in attracting foreign investment and facilitating business.
They also rank first in the rate of accredited hospitals, access to electricity services, mobile broadband speed, and the second globally in the adaptability to change. The UAE’s judicial system is the most efficient in the region. All of this success doesn’t come for free; they have invested Dh40 billion in housing, Dh140 billion in education, Dh94 billion in social development projects and Dh50 billion in health and prevention as a federal government.
Lessons learned from his 15 years:
The UAE represents their authentic real identity therefore it should be protected. One team means greater success and as mentioned in his letter, “It is the success of our teams and of every official who took the opportunity towards change, and the success of thousands of young people we have trusted who proved trustworthy and reliable”. The people’s spirit is what matters the most. Empowering and respecting human life and dignity without discrimination or prejudice because people won’t be motivated nor achieve something in a country that does not have basic human values.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin-Rashed ends his letter by expressing his sincere appreciation and loyalty to everyone who helped him and teamed up with him on his long journey.
