The first UAE Cabinet meeting of the new year 2023 was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday at Qasr Al Watan Abu Dhabi.

In order to realize the goals of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the aspirations of the UAE populace to create the best economic, social, and developmental environment, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum reaffirmed that the UAE Cabinet will always be the driving force behind policy and strategy development.

“Today, I chaired the new year’s first meeting of the UAE Cabinet… We reviewed the outcomes of 2022, where the Cabinet has approved and developed more than 900 decisions, 22 government policies, 68 federal laws, 113 national regulations, and 71 international agreements,” he said.

“In the previous year, the government formed more than 120 teams from 110 federal and local entities and 50 private sector entities to work on updating more than 100 social, economic, educational and regulatory federal laws… Thanks to these teams’ efforts, today we became the most adaptable and responsive government in the world,” he added.

The cabinet established five government priorities for 2023: creating a strong sense of national identity, improving environmental sustainability, improving the educational system, hastening the Emiratization process, and fostering stronger international business links.

STRATEGY FOR DESERTIFICATION

The National Strategy for Desertification, which consists of 33 major initiatives and a national action plan until 2030, was adopted by the UAE Cabinet. The Strategy’s five axes are centered on the preservation of ecosystems, improvement of arid and drylands, mitigation of the effects of climate change on ecosystems affected by desertification, and adaptation to those consequences.

INCENTIVES TO SUPPORT THE SPACE SECTOR

In order to strengthen and promote the country’s space industry, encourage investment, and draw in foreign investors, the Cabinet approved the issuance of a decision regulating permits for space operations and space-related activities.

A decision to provide compensation for harm done to third parties during space activities was authorized by the Cabinet for publication. The resolution to govern the use of space resources in accordance with the goals of the national space policy was also accepted at the conference.

FINANCING FEDERAL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The Cabinet adopted the system for funding the current federal educational institutions at the meeting, designating it as the standard for financing these institutions and giving the Ministry of Education the go-ahead to implement the system in consultation with all relevant authorities.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH GOVERNMENT SERVICES

The Government Services Observatory, an interactive digital platform that displays customer satisfaction with government services in real-time and their perceptions of the various channels accessible, including websites, smart applications, and service delivery centers, was approved by the Cabinet.

The Emirates Council for Food Security’s reorganization was also authorized by the Cabinet. The meeting also approved a handbook for uniform financial processes for gifts and money transfers outside the nation.

Meanwhile, The Cabinet also gave its approval for the publication of a federal decree ratifying agreements with the governments of the Independent State of Samoa, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the Republic of Serbia, and the Italian Republic as well as cooperation agreements with those governments.