In his speech on the occasion of the 34th National Day, the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced the start of the Empowerment Program. In fact, this project culminated a series of developmental achievements to ensure the utmost welfare of citizens in the country.
The philosophy of governance in the UAE is at once simple and complex. It is basically citizen-centered; however, its complexity lies in a plethora of projects aimed at satisfying citizens’ needs. To illustrate, the federal budget for the next fiscal year, 2016, is planning to prioritize public-sector services such as education (21% of the total budget), healthcare (8%) and social services (16%). This distributions shows an increasing interest in human development.
After ten years of achievements since the empowerment project was launched, fields other than human development witnessed progress as well. In the political area, the country stepped further towards implementing a participatory approach. This has crystalized in the electoral procedure held recently by the Federal National Council (FNC). This plausible step confirms the parliament’s participation in the overall national development process.
With an internationally-reputed model of development, the UAE has succeeded in adapting a suitable participatory approach with respect to political governance. Holding the elections, in the middle of turmoil in the region, reflects the determination of the Emirati leadership—led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan—to carry out political empowerment measures in a holistic fashion.
Altogether, the pillars of the empowerment plan are directed towards one goal—The UAE 2021 Vision. To this end, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme commander of the armed forces) stressed that the Emirati leadership, led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is keen to provide all the means necessary to increase popular participation and expand the role of the FNC for the best interest of the nation.
Actions speak louder than words. The UAE ranked first in both the Gulf and the Arab regions in the World Happiness Report for 2015. It also ranked 20th internationally. The findings of the report, issued under the auspices of the UN, translate investment efforts and government performance. Moreover, for eight consecutive years, the UAE ranked first on the list of Arab countries in the Prosperity Index for 2015, issued by the UK’s Legatum Institute. This too reflects the excellent UAE development model as the country attracts many Arab and foreign visitors while respecting global and international standards. The Emirates, for the fourth year in a row, occupied the first place on the list of countries Arab youth prefer to live and residence in, with a development model they hope their home countries would adopt, according to the 7th annual Arab Youth Survey, carried out by ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller agency in 2015. The survey has also revealed that about 20% of Arab youth want to live in the United Arab Emirates, contrary to certain defamatory claims.
In the 44th National Day, empowerment efforts seem to be on the right path. Our keen leadership is in fact providing all the requirements for the UAE people to have a decent life. Our citizens prove, day after day, their loyalty to the leadership and sense of belonging to the homeland.
