Abu Dhabi: His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, has reviewed the strategy of the Emirates Council for Balanced Development. The strategy aims to foster economic growth, enhance the overall well-being of Emirati citizens, and ensure a dignified standard of living for all, regardless of their location within the country.
According to Emirates News Agency, H.H. Sheikh Mansour discussed with H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, the key pillars of the strategy, its implementation mechanisms, and future projects. These projects aim to develop more villages and regions, enhancing their economic and tourism potential in alignment with the unique nature of each region.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour emphasized the UAE leadership's commitment to achieving social stability, improving the quality of life, and fulfilling the needs of UAE citizens across all regions. This effort strengthens sustainable development's inclusiveness, ensuring its benefits are reaped and directly impact the lives of UAE citizens and the broader community.
H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed noted that achieving development goals requires a synergistic approach involving collaboration between government entities, private sector institutions, and engagement with residents of developing regions. He highlighted that the Council's projects align with the leadership's vision to create a sustainable development model, maximising the utilisation of human potential and natural resources.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Mansour reviewed the comprehensive strategy, outlining strategic initiatives, goals, and updates aimed at accelerating progress. The focus is on enhancing facilities and services in villages and regions, transforming them into tourist destinations and thriving development hubs.
The strategy places significant emphasis on sustainability initiatives and social responsibility, using metrics and key performance indicators to track progress and measure outcomes. It involves developing balanced projects, managing progress, coordinating with relevant ministries, and approving partnership opportunities with the private sector, particularly national companies.
The Emirates Council for Balanced Development's projects aim to improve the quality of life across all regions, establishing a sustainable development model that provides economic and investment opportunities. The focus is on developmental pillars, launching commercial and economic projects, and raising awareness about the historical and archaeological significance of the areas, integral to the UAE's history.
The Council's strategy is underpinned by four key pillars: economic, social, tourism, and cultural development. The Economic Pillar aims to create diversified micro-economies through programmes like "Productive Farms" and "Support for Creative and Handicraft Industries." The Social Pillar focuses on family and social cohesion, with initiatives such as the Young Government Leaders Programme and support for UAE Senior Citizens.
The Tourism Pillar aims to create tourist destinations through the Emirates Villages Project and the Tourism Support Fund. The Cultural Pillar focuses on enhancing heritage and local culture by promoting, documenting, and preserving cultural and historical aspects of villages and rural areas.
To achieve the Council's strategy, media campaigns will be launched to highlight developed areas and villages, strengthening their presence on the domestic tourism map. Collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors will be enhanced.
The Emirates Villages Project, launched in November 2022, aims to develop a sustainable development model, creating economic and investment opportunities to ensure social stability. The Qidfa Region Development Project in Fujairah and the Masfout Development Project in Ajman are part of this initiative, focusing on sustainable development and economic opportunities.
Within its community outreach initiatives, launched by H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed in 2024, the Council has implemented several community initiatives and programmes.