P O L I T I C A L

PRESIDENT OF THE UAE

The United Arab Emirates, which was fortunate to be have been founded by a visionary leader, continues today to enjoy a wise and far-sighted leadership in the person of its new President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose public service spans the two historic stages of his nation's development. He was personally very close to the leadership of his late father, took inspiration from his example during his life-time, and acted as the main executive leader for his Government in the first stage of the foundation of the state. Today, he continues his leadership role in a new stage of development for the UAE that will witness the empowerment of his nation and its emergence on the global scene as a major world player.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa has paid special attention to the oil sector as he assumed the management of the emirate's oil resources. He played a distinctive role in redressing the balance in his emirate's partnership with the international cartel of oil companies operating in the country. He approved major investments in new oil and gas fields while introducing the latest technology for improving recovery rates in the old fields. He also oversaw the diversification of the country's economic base and directed major investments in building a vast industrial complex in the Western Region to develop petrochemical and oil-related industries.

President HH Sheikh Khalifa has seen the promotion of intra-GCC ties as being a fundamental element in the UAE's foreign policy: “I strongly believe that the Gulf region is one entity and one area. Unity is strength. It is my hope that we would be able to forge a greater union or federation, across the Gulf, not just in the UAE, and the success of our federation in the UAE is a cause for hope. Unity is a conviction and a belief.”

HH Sheikh Khalifa's broad vision for this new era has been set out in a number of official papers. Perhaps the most important were two strategic documents. The first is the policy agenda of Abu Dhabi Government issued by Abu Dhabi Executive Council for 2007/2008. The second was in an official speech made before the Federal National Council in February 2007.

Abu Dhabi's policy agenda sets out a vision for the overall development of the country. Its stated objective is to ensure the welfare of its citizens. In order to achieve this, it sets out programmes to develop an open economy, based on sustainable knowledge, that can compete internationally and with distinction, providing the best services in education, health and developed infrastructure within a legislative environment distinguished by efficiency and transparency. The emirate's strategy documents give equal importance to developing a transparent and efficient government apparatus to ensure the implementation of plans with a high-level of effectiveness and coordination, and to make use of all the country's potential and resources, including the participation of the private sector, both locally and internationally. The country's security, its international relations, safeguarding its environment, and promoting its heritage and culture remain cornerstones of the UAE's vision.