Cultural Season at ADU: People are at the Top of the Abu Dhabi Government’s Public Political Agenda
Abu Dhabi University organized a seminar about the public political agenda of the Abu Dhabi Government as part of a series of events which forms part of the cultural season at ADU.
H.E. Abdulla Ali Musleh Al Ahbabi, the Director of Government Performance Management in the General Secretariat of the Executive Council in Abu Dhabi, noted that people are at the top of the government’s list of priorities. All strategic projects at the Abu Dhabi Government are aimed to improve human welfare and services, especially projects that are focused on the fields of education, health and infrastructure.
H.E. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, the ADU Chairman of the Executive Board, noted the significance of the event in that it extends the bridges of communication between the university and the community establishments by shedding more light on a number of key issues which concern the community. He added that the seminars included in the cultural season program are extremely beneficial and a lot can be gained from these seminars - information, statistics, and recommendations that are important to sectors such as health, education, economy, industry, and more.
At the beginning of the seminar, Al Ahbabi praised the guidance and role of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the development process which the country is witnessing in all fields. He also pointed out the unconditional support and clear vision of H.H. General Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Head of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi Government Strategy, especially relating to his highness’ aim of improving all productivity and industry sectors in the capital in order to put the Abu Dhabi Government amongst the top 5 governments worldwide.
Al Ahbabi delivered his presentation during the seminar about Abu Dhabi Government Strategies and he focused on the plans which are aimed at building an active and efficient government that is able to contribute in making Abu Dhabi a better place of residence, work, and visit. In addition to that, the strategies are also aimed at helping Abu Dhabi to achieve its vision of creating a confident, secure society and building a sustainable, open and globally competitive economy.
Al Ahbabi talked about the key global mega trends such as demographic change, tragedies, and inflation impacting Abu Dhabi Government. The Abu Dhabi government is keen on improving the health sector and providing all health services to each and every person living in the capital. Al Ahbabi added that the economic changes, the global competition in the business market, and the development of information and communication technology led to Abu Dhabi Government’s focus on developing local talents and to build a national base of highly qualified personnel who are ready to compete in the business market and contribute in the process of developing the capital and reflecting a positive modern image of it. Other key mega trends impacting the Abu Dhabi Government include environmental and climate change, global economy, energy demands, water scarcity, and food security.
Al Ahbabi noted that the Abu Dhabi Government’s vision of creating a confident, secure society, and building a sustainable, open and globally competitive economy relies on a number of pillars including premium education, healthcare, and infrastructure assets, the creation of a sustainable knowledge-based economy, a large empowered private sector, an optimally transparent regulatory environment, maintenance of Abu Dhabi’s values, culture and heritage, and the significance of and ongoing contribution to the federation of the UAE.
Al Ahbabi mentioned that social development represents the main aim and target of all policies and initiatives that the Abu Dhabi Government adheres to in order to achieve equality and justice amongst all individuals. This includes offering the best health services to all citizens, providing world-leading education, social inclusion, as well as fair, ethical and safe labor conditions. It also includes the maintenance of Abu Dhabi’s culture, values and heritage, and establishing a skilled and efficient public sector to ensure the best services are provided to all citizens in the capital.
Al Ahbabi added that the coordination between the policies related to infrastructure and environmental issues represents a part of the Abu Dhabi Government’s total commitment to achieving social and economic development, in a way that ensures the highest levels of community security and environmental protection.
Al Ahbabi indicated that Abu Dhabi is currently witnessing rapid economic and constructional expansions which are expected to grow in the near future. With the growth of the local economy, the government is committed to maintaining the cultural values of the capital and running the construction projects responsibly. Al Ahbabi added that this urban development will make Abu Dhabi cities distinctive and will ensure that all services are being provided to its citizens in order to make Abu Dhabi an attractive destination and a great place to live, work and visit.
Al Ahbabi noted the important role of education in the development process of the capital, adding that the government is aiming at producing a comprehensive educational system depending on the best available expertise. The government is aware that an educated nation is a vital factor in the development process of any country; therefore education represents a national priority for the Abu Dhabi Government.
Al Ahbabi mentioned that regulatory policies aim at building a sustainable knowledge based economy through reforming business regulations and providing access to finance by small and medium enterprises. This includes promoting the creation of high value added economic activities, establishing knowledge networks, using industrial sector, promoting research and development, improving knowledge management, and ensuring high quality ICT infrastructure and improving ICT literacy.
Al Ahbabi noted that the strategies which the Abu Dhabi Government will undertake in order to develop the educational system, revolves around the fostering of creative thinking to align the needs of the business market and employees, and directing academic research to the needs of economic development and offering more educational opportunities such as vocational education, long-life learning, and the importance of teaching the cultural values of the capital. He also noted that entrepreneurs should be encouraged to commence their own small business enterprises. Al Ahbabi praised the positive role ADU plays as a national university which takes into consideration the needs of the local business market.
