His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance; H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said,
“Today, I chaired the Cabinet meeting in Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, and we approved 24 national initiatives aiming at doubling the UAE’s re-export by 100 percent within the seven coming years, through benefiting from our 50 commercial offices around the world.”
His Highness added,
“We will double the country’s re-export by developing specialised areas in cooperation with local governments, establishing the International Trade Links Centre, launching supportive programmes and increasing foreign investments in the service sector.
“The meeting reviewed more than 19 initiatives to attract talents to the country. The UAE ranked second globally in Competent Senior Managers indicator. Our goal is to attract the best talents in the world, as we continue to empower and enable our Emirati talents and national cadres.”
His Highness noted,
“We reviewed the results of the Higher Commission Free Trade Negotiations. We signed 4 international agreements with 4 countries. The positive impact of international agreements is reflected clearly on the numbers of the UAE’s foreign trade."
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stated,
“The meeting approved hosting the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conversation Congress (IUCN) in 2025, which attracts more than 10,000 experts from more than 160 countries. The UAE will remain a leading hub for sustainability, nature conservation and protection.”
“We approved the reformation of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing for three years, chaired by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the reformation of the UAE Genomics Council, chaired by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,”
His Highness concluded.
National Agenda for Re-Export development 2030
The UAE Cabinet approved the national agenda for re-export development 2030, which includes 24 initiatives and programmes, aiming to achieving 50 percent increase in the added value of the UAE economy through re-exports by 2030, through benefiting from the 50 integrated commercial representative offices for the UAE in five continents across the world. The agenda’s objectives include doubling the re-exports by 2030.
Higher Commission Free Trade Negotiations’ achievements
During the meeting, the Cabinet reviewed the achievements of the Higher Commission Free Trade Negotiations during 2022, which included the four comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) signed between the UAE, India, Israel, Indonesia and Türkiye, in addition to negotiations on new comprehensive economic partnership agreements with various trading partners.
The cabinet reviewed a report about the 2022 economic results of the UAE’s comprehensive partnership agreement with the Republic of India. The volume of non-oil trade between the two countries reached AED79.3 billion until end of September 2022, achieving 23 percent growth compared to the same period of 2021 and 133 percent growth compared to 2020. The volume of UAE non-oil exports to India recorded AED19.7 billion in the same period, with a growth rate of 12 percent compared to the same period in 2021 and 154 percent compared to 2020.
The meeting also reviewed the 2022 achievements of the Talent Committee, and the UAE’s remarkable rankings in the World Talent Ranking 2022 by IMD, along with the initiatives and programmes launched by the Commission, which included the implementation of about 19 initiatives.
New Federal Laws
The UAE Cabinet approved a new Federal Law to replace the federal decree law No. (16) of 2018 on Federal Government Real Estate Property. The new law aims at organising Federal Government properties, in line with the UAE vision.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved a new federal law to replace the Federal Law No. (26) of 1981 on Maritime Commercial law, through developing special legislation, allowing the foreign shipowners to registering the ship under the UAE flag, and to granting the country nationality to the ship in accordance with the country’s rules and requirements, and the best international practices.
The meeting approved a Federal Decree Law about reorganising the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), in addition to a ministerial decision adopting the UAE’s approach for aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (Drones) products and systems in the country.
International agreements
The UAE Cabinet approved the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the Republic of Türkiye. In addition, the Cabinet approved an agreement with Côte d'Ivoire, as well as an agreement between the government and the International Office of Epizootics (IOE).
Additionally, during the meeting, the cabinet approved the country's accession to Arab Customs Cooperation Agreement, and to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). It also approved the UAE’s accession to the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conversation Congress (IUCN)
In addition, the meeting approved hosting the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conversation Congress (IUCN) in Abu Dhabi in 2025, which attracts more than 10,000 experts from more than 160 countries, aiming at highlighting the country's efforts in preserving nature and biological diversity. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi to implement this decision, in coordination with the relevant authorities.
Reforming the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing
The meeting approved the reformation of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing for three years, chaired by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The council’s new membership includes the minister of Community Development as a Vice President; A representative of the Ministry of Education; A representative of the Ministry of Justice; A representative of the Ministry of Community Development; A representative of the Ministry of Culture and Youth; A representative from the office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote work Applications; The Head of the Cyber Security for the UAE Government; A representative of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA); two representatives of the local authorities concerned with smart government and digital transformation; and parents’ representatives.
Reformation of UAE Genomics Council
The Cabinet approved the reformation of the UAE Genomics Council, chaired by H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
The board of directors includes Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention; Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications; Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH); Yousif Mohammed Al Serkal, Director-General of Emirates Health Services; Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA); Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Academic Health Corporation (DAHC); Professor Eric Xing President at Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI; and Professor George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
The Cabinet meeting also agreed on the reformation of the Emirates Health Services (EHS), chaired by Dr. Mohammad Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
National Child Protection Policy in Educational Institutions
UAE Cabinet reviewed during the meeting, the results of the implementation of the National Child Protection Policy in Educational Institutions, which aims to ensure children protection in educational institutions and create a safe and supportive school environment to protect children against occurrences that can threaten their survival and wellbeing in terms of physical, mental, intellectual, educational and moral health.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
