His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, says the nation is preparing for the next fifty years of development by relying on the visions of its talented citizens.
His Highness made the statement at the honouring ceremony in Abu Dhabi of the first batch of the "CEOs of Government Design" enrolled in the "Government Design Initiative."
The programme aims to train talented citizens from federal and local authorities to integrate design concepts based on human development in government action.
Sheikh Mohammed said, "The UAE is redefining government action concepts and practices through a long-term vision based on the ideas of talented people. We are proud of the passion of the Emirati people to shape the future of their nation with innovative tools and distinguished ideas, which will continue the development process."
"Our government has adopted unconventional action models that focus on jointly designing the future and will achieve overall readiness and flexibility. We aim to prepare generations of government design experts to generate ideas about the future and its challenges, and innovate comprehensive solutions that will advance government action to new levels and improve lives," he added.
The initiative, organised by the UAE Government in cooperation with Palmwood Dubai, is the first programme of its kind in the world that focuses on integrating design principles into government action, and establishing a comprehensive system based on individual experiences and community partnerships.
It also aims to achieve milestones in government action, such as developing best practices and making influential decisions, by improving the mechanisms of government action through utilising innovative ideas from the community.
The initiative aims to build the capacities of employees, enhance their design skills, and train them on using new tools, to enable them to create innovative solutions through research, data collection and direct communication.