Sheikh Mohammed completes 15 years as head of UAE government

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has completed a decade-and-a-half as the head of the UAE government.

The UAE leader took to social media to share his thoughts: “Brothers and sisters … sons of the people of the Emirates … we will complete 15 years in 2021 in the leadership of the UAE government … we have worked to achieve the vision of my brother, the president of the state, may God protect him … and we have made every effort to serve the people of the Union.”

الإخوة والأخوات .. أبناء شعب الإمارات .. نكمل ١٥ عاماً في ٢٠٢١ في رئاسة حكومة دولة الإمارات .. عملنا على تحقيق رؤية أخي رئيس الدولة حفظه الله .. وبذلنا وسعنا لخدمة شعب الاتحاد .. هذه رسالتي .. https://t.co/P8ViMHoyyE

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 3, 2021

Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted key milestones that the UAE has achieved via an open letter he wrote, addressing the people of the nation, official news agency WAM reported.

“We have established the principles of strategic planning in the government. Excellence and competitiveness have transformed into an institutional culture. We carried out the biggest legislative reform in our country through issuing more than 50 new laws to help us adapt to the future,” he said.

On January 4, 2006, Sheikh Mohammed became the ruler of Dubai following the death of his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the then ruler of Dubai. A day later,  members of the UAE Supreme Council elected Sheikh Mohammed as the Vice President of the UAE. On February 11, 2006, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, nominated Sheikh Mohammed to become the Prime Minister of the UAE, which was approved by the Council.

Sheikh Mohammed wrote: “Fifteen years ago, I was appointed to head the federal government. I took an oath before our President and before you all to be loyal to the UAE, to preserve its union, safeguard its interests, respect its constitution and look after the needs of our people. You were all witnesses to that moment, and God was a witness to this oath. God knows that we did our best, that we devoted all of our government resources towards serving our people and that we did not favour anyone at the expense of the interests of our country.

Some of the key achievements that the UAE Prime Minister mentioned are listed as follows:

• Research and development spending in universities exceeded Dhs8bn in 2020
• Federal government invested Dhs40bn in housing, Dhs140bn in education, Dhs94bn in social development programmes and Dhs50bn in health and prevention.
• The level of security and safety in the UAE surpassed 95 per cent
• The country is ranked first globally in economic stability
• The country ranked second globally in financial efficiency
• Federal budget was doubled by 130 per cent

“Brothers and sisters, the past 15 years I spent in the federal government have not been easy. I remember when I first assumed my role as Prime Minister, many people have warned me of failure. I remember those who urged me to maintain my success in Dubai and avoid taking risks. I remember a senior Emirati dignitary who spoke to me years after assuming my responsibilities and said, “We all expected you to fail, and we were all wrong.” My answer will always be: this is not my own success. It is the success of our teams and of every official who took the opportunity towards change, and the success of thousands of young people we have trusted who proved trustworthy and reliable.

“The question that arises: What have we learned from the past 15 years? I learned that our union is [our] strength. It is the greatest achievement we must protect. Local entities may compete among each other – and this is good – however, we should always remember that the UAE is our homeland and haven. It represents our authentic identity. And the spirit of the Union is the major power that shapes our core and pushes us forward to work together relentlessly to honour our country. If it wasn’t for this spirit, I would not have seen the sacrifices made on a daily basis to get to where we are today.

محمد بن راشد… 15 عاماً في رئاسة حكومة دولة #الإمارات
“يقول ما يفعل … ويفعل ما يقول” #دبي pic.twitter.com/2AWveusHFv

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 3, 2021

“During the past years, we learned that success lies in people’s satisfaction, regardless of the accomplished projects or indicators or even financial resources. Our success lies in the legacy we leave for generations to come. Success is in our integrity and responsibility towards our country.

“Those beautiful 15 years passed quickly with a long record of achievements. Our efforts shall continue forward, under the vision of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE. During this journey, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has been the greatest friend, companion and leader. Without his support, the federal government would not have succeeded and advanced at such speed. His wisdom, vision and unlimited support have enabled us to be among the best and most successful countries in the world.

“During those 15 years, I worked with Sheikh Saif bin Zayed and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed as one team. They took major responsibilities in the government and worked tirelessly to serve our county in the best possible way. I express my sincere appreciation to them and all the Cabinet members.”