A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND FIVE YEARS OF CHALLENGE AHEAD

By Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Dear brothers and sisters,

Over ten years have passed since I assumed the position of prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates. In those ten years, we have launched a number of plans and strategies, led a number of reforms of our government, developed systems to track performance and improve services, encouraged innovation and the application of technology across all sectors, established awards, formed thousands of working teams, held numerous retreats and meetings and established many new government agencies.

We can perhaps now, ten years later, ask ourselves: what is the outcome of all this work and activity? It is important to pause occasionally and review our past work, measure our accomplishments and chart our road ahead. Today, reviewing the past ten years’ work, we stand on a path leading in the next five years to the year 2021, the year which we set as our target year for many objectives and goals. We promised great achievements and aspirations. How far have we come on our road, and how much more do we have to do in the coming five years to fulfil those promises?

In this short address, I would like to highlight a number of indicators of our achievements. I will leave the rest to our government officials and the members of our media to discuss openly, with transparency and without embellishment but with numbers and facts, research and studies so we can right our path if we need to, work harder if required, thank those whose hard work has resulted in achievements, and encourage those who have lagged behind. Through all of this, we remember that our goal is the advancement and glory of our nation and the betterment and happiness of our citizens. So let us review the past ten years. Despite the global financial crisis and the resulting economic slowdown, despite the upheaval and disorder our region has endured, the United Arab Emirates has shown marked progress in all sectors. Our economy has doubled in the past ten years, from a GDP of 663 billion dirhams to 1,360 billion dirhams, an improvement which has provided jobs and underpinned considerable economic and commercial opportunities for the citizens and residents of our country.

We have continuously stressed in the past ten years, through legislation and policies, the importance of diversifying our economy away from dependence on oil. As a result, our non-petroleum exports have increased from 113 billion dirhams when I assumed office to 603 billion dirhams (including free zone trade) in the past year. The economic contribution of the non-petroleum sector has increased from 66% to some 77% today. This has provided our economy with considerable protection throughout the recent decline in oil prices and meant we have been one of few countries worldwide cushioned against the resultant economic slowdown. With the development of government systems and services, the public sector’s contribution to GDP has grown from 23 billion dirhams ten years ago to 86 billion dirhams currently. We have seen a major growth in our competitiveness, from being the world’s 32nd most competitive economy to the 16th. This has placed the young nation of the UAE on a par with countries who have hundreds of years of development behind them.

Due to our open economic policies, Foreign Direct Investment has seen a sharp increase from 179 billion to 410 billion dirhams in the past ten years, while our banks’ total assets has increased from 859.6 billion dirhams to 2,478.2 billion dirhams. When it comes to health and education, which we consider to be among the most important sectors for our people, the indicators of the health sector point to a significant progress. Our expenditure on the health sector has increased from 1.18 billion dirhams when I first assumed office to over 3.82 billion currently. The number of doctors has increased from ten to over seventeen thousand.

In education, we have increased public sector expenditure by 57% to reach 9.75 billion dirhams annually. The number of accredited programs in UAE universities has grown from 206 to 862. The rate of kindergarten enrolment has grown to 93%, making UAE among the highest globally. The rate of high school graduation has also reached 93%, which also makes us among the highest globally as well. Our work together across all sectors has been tireless. The Excellence awards, Strategic Planning and Government Service Improvement programs, Electronic and Smart Government initiatives, as well as the government performance management systems have not been a waste of time and effort. Our public sector has witnessed significant improvement. The concept of Excellence and reaching first place have become deeply rooted in our government culture. No wonder, then, our public sector has seen marked improvements according to a number of internationally recognised indicators.

The UAE leads the Middle East today in over a hundred pivotal development indicators. In fact, our nation leads globally in a number of indictors, such as the quality of our public infrastructure, roads, maritime and aviation facilities, public safety and security, the rate of female enrolment in our universities, government efficiency and trust in the government, among others. In 2006, the rate of road accident fatalities was approximately 16 to each 100 thousand population. Today, thanks to the sincere and assiduous work by the teams at the Ministry of Interior, the rate stands at 5.9 to every 100 thousand and continues to improve. Detailing the accomplishments of our government teams over the past ten years requires much more room than this short address. My message today is not only about celebrating our achievements, but also evaluating the challenges ahead.

A few years ago, we announced the Indicators for our National Agenda. There are 52 national key performance indicators in education, health, housing, society, infrastructure, economy, environment, security, justice, and safety, among others, which we aim at achieving by 2021, to be among the best countries globally by that date, which marks the 50th anniversary of our Union. These indicators form historic goals for us in the next five years. They constitute the greatest challenges ahead of us; challenges we must overcome in the years to come.

A week ago, I received a detailed report about the current progress in achieving these indicators – it stands at 62%, which means 38% of the indicators have not been effectively achieved. We have only 5 years remaining, a very short period in the life of a nation. It is not our custom to appease or ingratiate anyone, because courtesy at the expense of the country is not a sign of nationalism. Today, we issued a directive to form government teams called “The National Agenda Execution Teams”. The teams comprise 550 members of our government across all sectors and departments, responsible for fulfilling the indicators. The teams will be under my direct supervision to intensify our efforts, mobilise our assets, and redouble our work in the coming period, in order to reach one hundred per cent of the goals of our National Agenda by the year 2021.

There is no room for procrastination, no time for delay. History is a witness to all of us. We have promised our people to accomplish what is best and we shall fulfil our promise. Government work is an honourable duty, and our government will ceaselessly and tirelessly implement its plans and fulfil its objectives. I will lead this effort and the teams behind it personally. We ask God to guide us to what is best for our country and nation.

27 October, 2016

The Arab Reading Challenge: A Meeting of Minds

Monday the 24th of October 2016 saw the finals and awards ceremony for the Arab Reading Challenge take place in Dubai, UAE. The Challenge was a year-round effort that saw a reading competition held across the Middle East and further afield which resulted in over 150 million books being read by some 3.5 million children. The competition, launched by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2015 brought together students in over 20 countries and 30,000 schools.

Each student recorded a summary of the books they had read using a series of colour coded ‘passports’ – each passport represented ten books read. By finishing all five coloured passports, students entered the challenge. Each participating country held national finals and awarded a winner. In October 2016, the winners were flown to Dubai to compete for the top prize.

In all, some $3 million in prizes were awarded to participants in the challenge, including awards of resources and bursaries for children, families, faculty and schools. The winning school, awarded for its work in encouraging reading outside school hours, was in Nablus, Palestine and was awarded $1 million towards facilities and resources for the school. The winning student, seven-year-old Mohammed Farah from Algeria, won $100,000 towards his educational costs and a cash prize of $50,000 awarded to his family.

The Challenge touched hearts across the Middle East and not only created a remarkable focus on reading in Arabic but also brought to light many remarkable stories of courage, perseverance and achievements in the face of hardship.

It prompted prominent thinker and novelist Paulo Coelho to write a letter to Sheikh Mohammed in which he praised the challenge. “Reading is indeed the fundamental approach to uplifting any society out of its miseries, whatever they are,” Coelho noted. “It is the first step on the path toward a positive change and is a fundamental building block of a bright future.”

Sheikh Mohammed wrote back, “I am optimistic, Paulo, about this generation. I am optimistic about the spirit of determination that I saw, in the face of challenges. I am optimistic about the future, as it flourishes under the mantle of books.”

The text of both letters is given here in full:

Paulo Coelho
A letter to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Dear Sheikh Mohammed,
I always wondered about the secret of life. Yet, like many people before me and many yet to come, the more I ponder on this amazing gift bestowed upon us, the more elusive the answer seems to become. Still, this has not dissuaded me from pursuing this issue further, as I remain motivated to read and learn as much as possible about the world around me. While some may deem such a pursuit futile, I am a strong believer that greater knowledge and understanding makes a person a better human being. In addition, my search for the answer to the question about the meaning of life has led me to the realization that my mission in life is to write!

Attempting to uncover one’s purpose is probably one of the most difficult journeys in life, and maybe it is the only adventure that gives us a real value. According to the prevalent wisdom, this can be achieved through reading or experimenting. While both options are not available to each individual, as some have limited means for experimentation and exploration of the world around them, everyone should be given the chance to read.

I once read the proverb, “you cannot hide perfume and knowledge,” which I believe is an Arabic one. I would like to take the liberty to expound upon it by saying that reading is the perfume of knowledge, for only readers’ fragrance permeates every place they visit. They are the flowers that not only people can enjoy for their scent and beauty, for they also conjure a sense of wonder and happiness without an apparent reason.

I thus really admire the Arab Reading Challenge you have established, for it sends a powerful message to the Arab world and the entire world about the importance of reading and learning. Your noble actions convey your attitude toward the injustices and inequalities in this world. Reading is indeed the fundamental approach to uplifting any society out of its miseries, whatever they are. It is the first step on the path toward a positive change and is a fundamental building block of a bright future.

I have been influenced by many people, one of whom is Jorge Luis Borges, who once said: “Let others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I'd rather boast about the ones I've read.” I concur with Borges, in that knowledge is not reflected by the number of books in the bookstores, but rather by how many people read them and how much of what they have read they truly comprehend. We become much better people if we allow books to change us and use that knowledge to give back to life.

I also greatly admire Ibn Arabi, who said: “A vessel that is not powered by a wind from within is a poor one.”

I can confidently say that your actions have prompted the UAE and the Arab world to start creating your own destiny. By riding the vessels of knowledge, powered by the wind of reading, you will soon anchor on the shores of a very bright and prosperous future.

Allow me to congratulate you, the winners and all the participants in this amazing endeavor. I look forward to your future initiatives, as I am sure that they will bring the real value to books in the twenty first century.

Paulo Coelho

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

A Letter to Paulo Coelho

“There is no future without books”

My friend, Paulo Coelho:
I have reflected on your message, and on your experience, and I have pondered the conclusions you reached: that the secrets of life and of self-discovery are revealed to those who abide by two rules and two rules only – to read and then, having read, to gain experience.

We have a message and experience that I wish to share with you. The message is that there is no future without books. This message, founded on a millennium of experience, is a great truth.

We have experienced a time when the people of our region focused on books. At that time, we were pioneers, leaders, open to all cultures. We became a beacon for humanity, and paved the way for the European Renaissance. Did you know, Paulo, that in the 9th century, our region had over 100 publishing houses on the outskirts of Baghdad alone? Those publishing houses published thousands of books. They were also home to more than just publishers; they were cultural hubs where scientists, researchers, intellectuals and translators from myriad religions, civilisations and walks of life gathered to share ideas and debate. We also had a ‘House of Wisdom’, which housed over a million books, and where hundreds of writers and thinkers lived. When its life was centred around books, Baghdad was, my friend, a beacon in the worlds of astronomy, medicine, mathematics and philosophy. Where is Baghdad today?

I do not want to dwell too long on mentioning the profusion of other libraries; the libraries in Alexandria, Cairo, Andalusia, and Morocco. But what I do want to say is that we have learned a clear lesson: there is no future without books; no enlightenment or tolerance or co-existence, without books; no creativity or innovation or invention without books; no economic prosperity or pioneering or leadership, without books.

My dear friend, I am still optimistic. Did you hear the story of the Moroccan girl, Kothar? She was diagnosed with cancer three days after joining the Arab Reading Challenge. It motivated her to read 166 books in only a few months. Or the Jordanian girl, Rama, who entered the Challenge? Born blind, she couldn’t find books in braille so she leaned on her friend, who could only see with one eye; the girls together read many books, with one eye only. I have heard the stories of many contestants in the Arab Reading Challenge, which saw over 3.5 million students participate.

I am optimistic, Paulo, about this generation. I am optimistic about the spirit of determination that I saw, in the face of challenges. I am optimistic about the future, as it flourishes under the mantle of books.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum