Dubai (ALETIHAD)
Participants in the 2nd Global Government Leaders Program (GGLP) learned about the UAE’s success story of government innovation, and its role in driving transformative projects and strategic plans aimed at accelerating future industries, during two sessions led by Her Excellency Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs and His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation.
These sessions are part of field visits planned by the GGLP, taking the participants around various government entities and national projects in the UAE. The sessions are designed to help them build leadership and management skills, gain strategic insights into government work, and acquire the tools and knowledge to address future challenges in this area.
By sharing the UAE's successful experience in government performance, the program equips participants with practical tools and models to enhance their institutions' future readiness and effectiveness.
Strategic partnerships
Her Excellency Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, welcomed participants in the 2nd Global Government Leaders Program, highlighting the program’s role in fostering international cooperation and knowledge exchange, leading to strong strategic partnerships that support innovation and improve government performance.
This success is rooted in the UAE leadership’s clear vision, and solidified by UAE Vision 2021, the first long-term national vision in the region, she noted.
“The UAE Centennial Plan 2071 provides a roadmap for the nation's future. This plan, underpinned by quantitative global KPIs, guides the nation's strategic framework, encompassing federal entity plans, sector strategies, and transformational projects,” HE Al Hashimi added.
Fostering a culture of innovation
HE Al Hashimi showcased the role played by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI) in fostering a culture of innovation in the UAE’s government sector.
She emphasised MBRCGI’s three guiding principles - increasing proximity to challenges, engaging contextually with citizens, and generating insights through user involvement. These principles, inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's hands-on leadership style, ensure that innovation efforts are grounded in real-world needs and experiences.
“These principles inform the MBRCGI's three pillars of action: enabling innovation through resources and training; exploring possibilities by incubating projects and showcasing global best practices; and creating platforms for transformative change, explained HE Al Hashimi.
Expediting government initiatives
HE Al Hashimi also discussed the aims of the Government Accelerators Centre at the Prime Minister’s Office, and its focus on enhancing collaboration and expediting government initiatives.
“The Government Accelerators Centre adopted private sector methodologies like time-bound sprints, coaching, and healthy competition to address stagnant projects,” HE Al Hashimi said.
The Centre has managed to overcome common obstacles associated with government work, HE Al Hashimi explained, noting that the 100-day challenges carried out by the Government Accelerators Centre in three phases -design, acceleration, and sustainability - ensured not only rapid progress but also the long-term viability of solutions.
She elaborated on the agile methodology employed by Centre to tackle diverse challenges, ranging from reducing road accidents to streamlining government services.
Future foresight and design
Addressing the GGLP participants, His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) said the UAE's leadership has fostered a global model for innovation, future design, and international partnerships. He highlighted the UAE's pioneering infrastructure development and successful implementation of impactful global projects through public-private partnerships, positioning the nation as a global leader.
He showcased key initiatives overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation, which embody the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for institutionalizing future foresight and fostering readiness for promising opportunities across various sectors.
He highlighted the DFF efforts in collaborating with private and public sector entities, locally, regionally and globally, as well as in analysing emerging and predicting trends that inform areas of focus. "We do not just anticipate the future," HE Belhoul stated, "we actively shape it by fostering collaboration and empowering everyone to be part of building the future.”
In conclusion, HE Belhoul talked about the “Future Opportunities Report: The Global 50, published annually by DFF to highlight key global trends and promising opportunities, presenting them as potential avenues for partnership where collaboration could lead to significant advancements in global growth.
The Global Government Leaders Program, jointly organised by the Government Experience Exchange Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) operating under the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, empowers first- and second-tier government leaders from participating countries.
Participants in the 2nd cohort of the Global Government Leaders Program come from 31 countries, namely: Azerbaijan, Mongolia, the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Bermuda, Ethiopia, Georgia, the Maldives, Andorra, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Barbados, Romania, Costa Rica, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Fiji, Rwanda, Senegal, Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil, Turkmenistan, Guyana, Brunei, Malta, Zimbabwe, Serbia and the UAE.