H.H. Sheikh Mohammed chairs first cabinet meeting of 2024

The first cabinet meeting of the new year was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday.

During the meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, cabinet members reviewed the outcomes and achievements of 2023 and outlined the government's priorities for 2024.

Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE witnessed unprecedented growth in economic, scientific, educational and health sectors last year.

He pointed out that home-ownership rates of UAE nationals reached 90 per cent in 2023, which is among the highest in the world.

"The year 2024 will be a new milestone for more development achievements and with greater momentum in all sectors, God willing," he added.

.@HHShkMohd chairs the first #UAE Cabinet meeting for the new year at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/mfIgrxlySh

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 5, 2024

Mohammed bin Rashid reviews Cabinet’s achievements and outcome of 2023 and gives directives to ministries and federal entities to implement national priorities, announced by President of the UAE, in their initiatives and projects of 2024 pic.twitter.com/vHNAFT8mW9

— UAEGOV (@UAEmediaoffice) January 5, 2024

Key achievements of 2023:

• More than 4,300 resolutions regarding housing aid for UAE nationals were issued in 2023, worth AED 3.2 billion. The percentage of UAE nationals owning their own houses grew to 90%.
• 150% increase in the number of UAE nationals joining the labour market since the launch of the Nafis programme, with the number of Emiratis in the private sector in 2023 reaching nearly 92,000.
• 73 federal laws were issued in 2023, including 10 laws issued for the first time in the UAE legislative system, with the participation of 1,500 specialists and 50 governmental teams.
• 1,030 government resolutions were issued in 2023 regulating various key sectors and including 60 national policies and strategies, and over 125 executive regulations.
• The UAE topped 215 international competitive indexes in 2023, and was ranked first regionally in more than 364 international indexes.
• 5.9% growth rate in the UAE's non-oil GDP in the first 9 months of 2023.
• 62 international agreements were signed by the UAE in 2023, related to economy, finance, justice, defence and security, aviation and humanitarian action.

The cabinet meeting’s agenda included:

• Reviewing the outcome report of the cabinet’s work during 2023.
• Reviewing the work progress updates of the GCC joint economic work.
• Reviewing the results of the economic indicators of the cultural and creative industries, as well as the latest updates on the modern agriculture sector in the country.
• Approving the country’s hosting of 3 international events.
• Ratifying and signing 3 agreements between the UAE government and the Republic of Albania’s cabinet, the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Issuing regulatory decisions on sport, trust services and energy efficiency for electrical appliances.
• Approving the budgets of the Emirates Investment Authority and the General Pension and Social Security Authority for the fiscal year 2024.