DED & Abu Dhabi DED organize joint workshops to identify areas of cooperation

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development organized joint workshops centered on three key topics: policy making/ economic planning, services to business community, and operations/ best practice. The initiative is part of the strategic partnership between the two organizations to achieve the aspirations of the UAE leadership and position the country alongside other developed countries by 2021.

"Enhancing the economic sector is one of the vital factors in the development process, and working together at this stage to formulate joint policy analysis and regulatory recommendations is in the interest of all. We seek to achieve the aspirations of our wise leadership to position the UAE as an investment destination of choice for businessmen and investors," said His Excellency Mr Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development.

Mr Al Qamzi added: "We are pleased to cooperate with Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and we are sure that unifying our efforts will be fruitful as we both seek to find suitable mechanisms to implement joint projects that strengthen the UAE economy while also providing integrated services for the benefit of our customers.”

HE Mohammad Omar Abdullah, Abu Dhabi DED Undersecretary, said: "The joint workshops embody the goals of the UAE government and aspirations of integrating all government agencies in the country to achieve the development goals of the federal government's strategy, for the year 2021 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030".

Mr Abdullah placed emphasis on promoting cooperation between the two departments through the organization of such events that contribute to identifying the priorities and responsibilities towards achieving the joint strategic objective; especially those linked to the economic and investment fields, as well as the business sector.

The "Policy making/ economic planning" workshop discussed economic plans and related analytical work, economic data sharing, collection and modeling, quality assurance of studies and subsequent policy recommendations and joint studies on economic integration, in addition to organizing joint forums, conferences and events.

The "Services to business community" workshop discussed ways to enhance the attractiveness of the UAE business environment in the fields of business registration and licensing, commercial compliance and consumer protection, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and export development, as well as promoting foreign investment.

Participants in the "Operations/best practice" workshop discussed sharing best practice in strategy management methodologies and approaches to development, human resources, finance, and the development of information technology applications.

The workshops resulted in several recommendations including the formation of joint teams to focus on methodologies for economic planning and sectoral research; discuss the laws and analyze their impact on the economy and propose recommendations; and coordinate efforts to attract investments to Abu Dhabi and Dubai through joint plans, in addition to exchanging information and sharing data for the promotion of foreign investment, small and medium enterprises, and export development.

The recommendations also included simplifying business registration procedures between the two emirates, and focusing on the transfer of operational experience in the field of quality awards, raising the level of employee satisfaction, and streamlining the procurement systems in the two departments.

The strategic partnership between the Dubai Department of Economic Development and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development includes cooperation in different fields such as economic studies, inspection, control and commercial protection, international relations (investment and exports), quality, excellence and training, strategic planning, and legislation.