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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
UAE Participation in the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Statistical Commission
- Nusseibeh: Data plays a vital role in enhancing the reputation of the UAE
- Lootah: The Permanent Mission is making every effort in support of the visiting delegations
Dubai, March 9, 2019
The UAE official delegation participating in the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Statistical Commission headed by H.E. Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics (FCSA), paid a courtesy visit to the UAE Permanent Mission to UN in New York.
The delegation was received by HE Ms. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the UAE Permanent Representative to the UN. During the meeting, they discussed the role of national statistical centers in providing, making available and disseminating data, in addition to other several topics and issues of mutual interest.
H.E. Lana Nusseibeh underlined the importance of the role of data in achieving sustainable development. She stated: “Indeed, the participation of the UAE delegation in the meetings of the UN International Statistical Committee and exhibiting UAE’s efforts in this field will contribute in elevating the reputation of our dearest homeland as one of the most committed countries in consolidating the international partnership and cooperation and supporting the global sustainable development goals through innovation, global partnerships, modern technologies, artificial intelligence and other sectors that shape the future of UAE and the role of UAE future generations will play.”
H.E. Lana Nusseibeh hailed the diligent and dedicated efforts of the delegation for their contributions to the progress of UAE rank in one of the most critical global competitiveness reports and indicators.
The UAE delegation participating in the International Statistical Commission includes a number of the senior officials of the statistics and data centers in the UAE.
In his turn, H.E. Abdullah Naser Lootah, Director-General of FCSA expressed his gratitude for the outstanding role played by the Permanent Mission of UAE to UN, especially in supporting the State delegations in their official missions.
He said: “The Permanent Mission of the State at the United Nations has always been a pioneer in facilitating the tasks of official missions from the UAE with all efforts to overcome any obstacles which may be faced by any of the members of the delegation.”
The UAE delegation is participating intensely in this year’s annual meetings of the United Nations Statistical Committee, following the hosting of the United Nations World Data Forum by the State at its second session held in Dubai in October last year. The State’s hosting of this forum has a tangible impact on data experts, statistics and national competencies in the country as a result of the exchange of information, experiences and the best success stories of data and statistics.
H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah highlighted , during his meetings with all directors of statistics centers in the world participating in the meetings of the Statistical Committee, the importance of putting the “Dubai Declaration” into effect so that the countries of the world can continue their march towards achieving SDGs agenda in 2030.”
At the end of the meeting, H.E. Lana Nusseibeh thanked the delegation of the FCSA for visiting the headquarters of the Permanent Mission in New York and wished them success in their meetings at the fiftieth session of the International Statistical Commission in New York.
Forecasting the Vision of the Youth Role in Harnessing Future Technologies
Dubai, UAE- 28th February 2019:
As part of plan to involve young people in the activities of the Emirates Innovation Month 2019, the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics (FCSA) organized a brainstorming session for young people at the Arab Youth Center in Dubai on 27 February 2019.
The brainstorming session was conceptualized to encourage the ideation of new outputs and ideas which center the main themes of the national strategy of the 4th Industrial Revolution. This was conducted in accordance with the aspirations of youth and in line with the efforts exerted by the FCSA and its partners to achieve the goals of the National Agenda and the vision of the UAE 2021.
More than 40 young talented Emiratis attended the brainstorming session from various sectors concerned with the national strategy of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The themes tackled during the session were on genetics and health care through robotics, smart and interactive cities, water and food future security, economic security and digital transaction technologies, . Topics such asestablishing a global center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, building an integrated and secure data environment and developing specialized talent and entrepreneurs were also tackled.
H.E. Abdullah Lootah, the Director-General of the FCSA, applauded this unique initiative and stressed that this initiative was developed to be part of the activities of the Emirates’ month for innovation, based on the guidance of the wise leadership to encourage the role of the youth for the the future.
“Youth has a central role in the UAE’s quest to achieve its vision of being the best country in the world by 2071, the centennial of founding the UAE. TheUAE has always been proactive in launching initiatives and programs that harness the creative energies of young people and transform their passion towards technology, sustainability, obtaining knowledge, new sciences and their applications to real initiatives and programs to serve the country and drive progress.” Lootah Said.
H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al-Nathri, the Director-General of the Federal Youth Foundation, visited the brainstorming workshop and praised the efforts of FCSA in providing outstanding opportunities for young people and enabling them to present their creations that support the achievement of the goals of the national agenda. He has also thanked the team of FCSA for organizing and managing the brainstorming session.
Participants were divided into seven teams. They were selected among those who have knowledge and cognizance of this subject and among those entities, which support our national strategy. Entitiesincluded the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, the Central Bank and a number of universities, such as UAE University, Khalifa University, University of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai Health Authority Board, Future Economic Youth Council, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Smart, Abu Dhabi Police, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (DU), ADNOC, Statistics Center-Abu Dhabi, General Authority of Civil Aviation, Department of Economic Development in Dubai and others.
At the end of the session, each of the seven teams reached a set of ideas on the key theme they worked on. The FCSA experts, in cooperation with other concerned parties, evaluated proposals and presented the best ones to the relevant officials in each body.
Malik Al Madani, the Director of Strategic and Future Department and CEO of Innovation at the FCSA, concluded the session by saying: “ FCSA is keen to take advantage of the opportunities and harness them to empower young people. The Emirates Innovation Month is no exception to this rule. Therefore, we have responded promptly to various sectors to organize interactive session with young people and involved them in presenting the ideas that the young generation can implement.”
An Innovative Model for Exploring the Future of Institutional Government Action
- Lootah: This Race Combines Exploring the Future and Turning the Culture of Innovation into Sustainable Work
- Al Madani: The Core Theme of the Race to the Future is To Be A Better Model Tomorrow Than Today
Dubai, UAE- 25 February 2019:
As part of the plan adopted by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) for the UAE Innovation Month of 2019, the FCSA innovation team organized a knowledge session on the “Race to the Future” initiative, which aims to develop a conception on how the shape and work and procedures mechanism of the Authority will be in the medium future, namely, after 6 to 10 years from today.
On this occasion, Abdulla Lootah, the Director-General of the FCSA, said: “This race combines exploring the future and turning the culture of innovation into sustainable work within institutional government work.”
He added: “Every effort by FCSA and it’s employeessee the impact on the future, and this in itself is a positive catalyst to draw and shape the future of the FCSA since today by its experts and staff. They put yesterday’s and today’s experience to build a prosperous and sustainable future for the Authority, the children of the homeland and its residents.”
Malik Al Madani, the Director of Strategic and Future Department and CEO of Innovation, has led the session and said: “Tomorrow will be better than today. This is the essence of this innovative initiative. However, its mold is the race, for its positive factors in motivation and joint action for Achieving success by teams competing among themselves and with themselves for the future of the Authority.”
Malik Al Madani explained: “The race launches in the innovation month of each year for five weeks and aims to explore the future of the Authority and its work method during the medium-term future, i.e., during the next 6 to 10 years. This is the first stop of Emirates centennial 2071, by building internal capabilities in the field of strategic planning and looking ahead, by creating an innovative tool for dealing with future, and ensuring readiness for global leadership, by relying on fostering a culture of institutional leadership and continuous improvement initiatives.”
The idea of the race is based on a previous initiative launched last year by the Authority in the name of the 50×50 Competitiveness Race, which aimed to devise a 50-speed accelerator program for the most critical competitive indicators and find solutions for them within 50 working days, within a comprehensive framework that sets the indicators of high sensitivity and significant importance which affect various sectors within the priorities of some federal and local government agencies.
Reem Al Hashimi: The Council will initiate the role and visions of young people and their ideas for building societies and sustainable development in and out of the UAE.
Shamma Al Mazroui: The Council is a unique opportunity to be involved in an experience of knowledge and acquire practical skills that qualify young people to be future leaders.
Dubai-UAE, 30 December 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has revealed that the evaluation phase of the candidates’ membership applications for the Youth Advisory Council for SDGs has been commenced.
The Youth Advisory Council for SDGs was announced that the council will be established in the presence of H.E. Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, during the United Nations Global Data Forum 2018 held last October in Dubai.
The total number of candidates’ membership applications for the Youth Council reached 610 applications from inside and outside the country. UAE nationals represented 76% of the total applicants, while other nationalities submitted 24% of the applications. Additionally, 71% of applicants are of those who have completed their studies and applied for jobs. Meanwhile, the remaining 29% of the applicants are school students. As for the applicants’ gender, the percentage of female applicants was 52% as compared to 48% of males.
H.E. Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and the Chairperson of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, expressed her pride of the youth of the UAE and their interest in the file of SDGs.
She added: “The participation of young people in the development of policies and plans is an embodiment of our leadership vision for the future of the UAE, its sons, and daughters, and its keenness that young people have a greater role and close association with everything related to sustainable economic and social development in the United Arab Emirates.”
She also stated that the Youth Advisory Council for Sustainable Development goals will play a significant role in raising awareness about the efforts of various government agencies and private sector institutions in the country to achieve the SDGs 2030, as well as help in creating opportunities for advancing youth visions and ideas which support human and sustainable development in and outside the country.
H.E. Shamma Bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrouei, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, said: “The Youth Advisory Council for SDGs is a unique opportunity to be involved in an experience of knowledge and acquire many practical skills that enable young people to become leaders of the future, and responsible for supporting the march of social and economic development in the State through achieving the SDGs 2030.”
She added: “Our wise government has invested in the energies of young people and has made taking advantage of their capacities in the process of development, progress and sustainability among its top priorities.”
She further explained: Through young people, we can harness the inherent energies and high potentials that will qualify them to participate in building the UAE and realize its vision, which is to be the best country in the world by 2071.”
H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, the Vice President of the National Committee for Sustainable Development goals and the Director-General of FCSA, stated: “This Council which is concerned with the SDGs, is an interactive knowledge platform for young people. It is through this Council young people can listen to each other’s opinions and other various and versatile viewpoints from their counterparts from other nationalities and ages. The Youth will will have the opportunity to be involved in the most important contemporary issues that capture the interest of our leadership in the UAE to enhance their role in building the future of the UAE and contribute to the achievement of the agenda of Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
The applications submitted by young people will be evaluated according to the criteria set by several experts and specialists in the youth files and SDGs of the FCSA.
Based on the evaluation results, the best candidates will be selected for several meetings and personal interviews, to choose 10 of them to be members of the Council.
The members of the Council will have many opportunities to participate actively in a number of events, sessions, seminars and activities in the UAE, most importantly, is the participation in preparing the agenda of conferences and events related to SDGs to be held during 2019 and 2020.
Mahra Hussein Al Ali, the Chairman of the Youth Council of the FCSA, stressed that: “We, the young people all over the world, need opportunities and constructive environments that drive innovation, creativity, and valuable work. This is certainly, what the UAE government is keen to provide us with. TheYouth Advisory Council will provide such environments and opportunities for the Youth towards achieving the SDGs.”
“Indeed, the establishment of this council is an confirmation of the leadership’s confidence in youth, their energies and potentials in promoting construction and productivity, and playing leadership roles in the country’s prosperity and development,” she stated.
It is worth mentioning that the Youth Advisory Council for Sustainable Development Goals marks the cooperation between the FCSA and the Federal Youth Foundation.
The members of the Council will be young people between the age of 15 to 35 years. An equal number of males and females will be selected in support of Goal 5 of SDGs on Gender Equality.
In partnership with the Ministry of Community Development and National Statistical Centers
Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019 is Announced
- The survey covers more than 20,000 households in the country in the largest socio-economic statistical project
- The fieldwork will take one year and cover all seven Emirates
- 350 field researchers will be supported by advanced statistical tools
20 December 2018 – Dubai, UAE
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority announced the official launch of the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey at a press conference today. The announcement was made by HE Hessa bint Isa Buhamaid, Minister of Community Development and the UAE and was attended by HE Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. Also present at the event was HE Humaid Rashid Humaid Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi , Director of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, HE Ahmad Abdulla Al Suwaidi, Director General, Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi, HE Arif Obaid Al Muhairi, Executive Director, Dubai Statistics Center, HE Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of Fujairah Statistics Center, Dr Ibrahim Akoum, Executive Director, Ras Al Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies and Mrs Hessa Zayed, Fieldwork Manager, Ajman Statistics and Competitiveness Center.
During the press conference, HE Hessa bint Isa Buhamaid announced the launch of the survey’s fieldwork that will be targeting more than 20,000 Emirati and non-Emirati families distributed across the seven emirates. Her Excellency said that the UAE family has been and will remain the focus of the Ministry of Community Development and all government agencies for decades and until this very moment. This focus, she added, will grow further in the future in accordance with the directives of the UAE leadership. Her Excellence also noted “The happiness of the UAE community and ensuring prosperity and sustainable development is the focus of our attention, which is why we work with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and all national statistical centers on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey Project.”
“We recognize the importance of this survey because it provides data and statistics that are an accurate reflection of the income and expenditure levels at a household level in the country. Thus, decision makers will be able to utilize the data produced by the survey to design, launch and implement various impactful social and economic programs aimed at improving all aspects of life for individuals and families such as housing, education and health; reiterating the UAE’s status as a destination for happiness and prosperity,” Added HE Buhmaid.
Her Excellency also stressed the importance of the families’ response and cooperation, “Cooperating with with the field researchers is imperative for the success of this important national project.”
HE Abdulla Nasser Lootah, expressed his excitement in launching the Household survey. “We are proud to launch the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019. This national project, which is being implemented over a period of one year, reflects the strong cooperation, collaboration and teamwork spirit between the Ministry of Community Development and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and all national statistical centers in the UAE,” he added. “This survey is regarded as one of the most importance statistical projects because of the type of data it produces. Data that is crucial for any decision makers who is seeking to develop strategic plans and initiatives that can positivity impact the lives of families in the UAE”
Approximately 350 field operators, consisting of observers, supervisors, researchers and experts spread across all emirates, will be working on the project. This number does not include the office staff providing support at the FCSA and national statistics office.
All field teams attended intensive training and are equipped with latest advanced field tools and methodologies such as geo-spatial positioning systems, mobile applications on handheld devices, and other advanced techniques and modern statistical methods to ensure accuracy and quality of results.
| Emirate | Sample Familes per Emirates | Percentage |
| Abu Dhabi | 8784 | 42% |
| Dubai | 3816 | 18% |
| Sharjah | 2304 | 11% |
| Ajman | 1632 | 8% |
| Umm Al Quwain | 1248 | 6% |
| Ras Al Khaima | 1632 | 8% |
| Fujairah | 1296 | 6% |
| Total | 20712 | 100% |
Table (1) Sample breakdown per Emirate
The survey will help extract more than 65 indicators such as the basket of goods and services, consumer price indices, cost of living index, and price indices to help assess the level, direction and structure of the economic well-being of families.
The survey also provides accurate information on the demographic, social and economic characteristics on the components of society, including gender, age, nationality, educational level, marital status, labor force, occupation, economic activity, employment status and others.
The survey helps to update the base years of statistical indicators, such as inflation rates, as the periodicity of survey implementation extends to five years, providing seasonal coverage of household income and expenditure rates.
Session taking place on sidelines of World Data Forum will discuss how traditional statistics gathering is making way for digital forms
Dubai, October 24, 2018
The impact of the data revolution on statistics gathering and fieldwork will be an issue under the spotlight at a side session of the forthcoming United Nations World Data Forum, which is being organised by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) and takes place October 22-24 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
Titled Bye ‘Bye-Bye Statistics,’ the activity being presented by Saber bin Saeed Al Harbi, Director General of GCC-Stat, will examine how advances in technology are creating breakthroughs in data collection and negating the labour intensive, traditional methods for harvesting and promulgating statistics.
“We are facing a sea-change in the way data is collected, stored, analysed and disseminated, with rapid leaps forward in technology creating a fundamental shift in the way that information is gathered. The ‘Bye-Bye Statistics’ session on the side-lines of the UN World Data Forum aims to show attendees how it is now possible to do away with time-consuming fieldwork and the compiling of static tables. It will reveal the latest developments in virtual statistics and how to best utilise data acquired from sensors, satellite imagery data and GPS integrated data,” Saber bin Saeed Al Harbi
Bye-Bye Statistics will discuss the future demographic of the statistics world, which the session coordinators say will feature fewer compilers and more analytics, with those involved in the field also being younger. It will highlight how statistics will be defined by networks instead of buildings, with the work increasingly involving smart skills and machine learning. It will also examine the process of initiating change and the policies that managers responsible for data collection can adopt to ensure that their teams become enthusiastic early adopters of the new models.
“The Bye-Bye Statistics session will examine the best ways for managers to introduce these changes to bring their teams along with them. We will be examining the various stages involved in creating successful change, such as establishing a sense of urgency, creating a guiding coalition, developing a strategy, generating short-term wins and consolidating gains,” added Saber Al Harbi
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the UN World Data Forum 2018 brings together more than 1,500 data experts, high-ranking government officials and prominent policy makers from around the world. Now in its second edition, the globally-recognised event contributes to the establishment of a scientific incubator environment to enhance the role of data and statistics in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030; namely food security, health and learning.
Memorandum of Understanding will see bodies work together to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Dubai, October 24, 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), the UAE government body tasked with developing the UAE’s performance in data collection and in improving the country’s ranking across global indices, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
Under the terms of the agreement, the FCSA will partner with SDSN – a body that operates under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General to mobilise global scientific and technological expertise for sustainable development – to share knowledge and resources. The specifics of the MoU relate to SDSN’s research network on data and statistics ‘TReNDS’ and the organisations’ mutual objective of providing better-quality data to monitor sustainable development.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the UN World Data Forum 2018, which was hosted by the FCSA at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai from October 22-24. The second edition of the global summit aimed at exploring ways of improving the collection and analysis of statistics to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under Agenda 2030. The signatories to the agreement were H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the FCSA and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the UN World Data Forum 2018, and Jessica Espey, Senior Adviser at SDSN.
“Our new partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network will see the UAE run SDG pilot initiatives when needed to support the network’s research, while the network will reciprocate by supporting the FCSA with capacity building when possible, participating in SDG-related events where feasible, and contributing to the UAE’s annual report on SDGs. We see our relationship, which will last until at least 2020, as an important step in helping the UAE meet its obligations towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” said H.E. Lootah.
Organised by the FCSA and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the UN World Data Forum 2018 attracted more than 1,500 data experts, government officials and policy makers from around the world. Following the inaugural event in Cape Town, South Africa in 2017, the successful second edition of the Forum has established the event as the preeminent global activity to discuss the role of data and statistics in achieving the UN SDGs in the areas of food security, health and learning.
Dubai (Union) – The Higher Committee for Coordinating Statistical Work at the national level had its fourth meeting at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre in Dubai; where they discussed the National Statistics Strategy plan, as part of its efforts to enhance continuous assessments of new emerging needs and improve the efficiency of the statistical system to serve development programs at both the national and international levels. The meeting was attended by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Statistics and Community Development, H.E. Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and Chairman of the Committee, H.E. Abdullah Gharib AlQemzi, Acting Director General of the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General, Digital Dubai & CEO, Dubai Data Establishment, Dr. Hajar Al Hubaishi, Executive Director of Ajman Statistics Center, Najwa Yaqoub, Executive Director of the Ras Al Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies, and H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of Fujairah Statistics Center. H.E. Hanan Ahli, emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation between the statistical entities in the country through the exchange of knowledge and experiences and unifying standards of statistical processes. She pointed out that the upcoming action plan will prioritize designing the future statistical system and ways to improve the competitiveness of the UAE in global reports and indicators. She highlighted the importance of focusing on technical areas with a high impact on the national statistical strategy. The Committee stressed the importance of the participation of the UAE delegation in the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, in coordination with the Office of the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations, as the meetings of the Committee represent an ideal opportunity to build channels of communication and fruitful cooperation with international statistical authorities. It is worth mentioning that the Higher Committee for Coordinating Statistical Work was established at the national level in 2016 as a national initiative aimed at enhancing partnership opportunities, developing mechanisms for joint work, intensifying coordination among statistical entities in areas of statistical work development, and designing policies and implementing strategies based on data supporting decision-making processes.
Dubai, the United Arab Emirates- 16th February 2020
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) participates in the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 (GWFD 2020) scheduled to be held today under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during 16-17 February 2020 under the theme “The Power of Influence”.
As per the forum agenda, FCSA is participating in several main sessions, in addition to introducing an innovative digital interactive screen designed to display the most recent facts and figures on the UAE journey in empowering women, and its achievements in the most important global competitiveness reports and indicators on women empowerment and gender balance.
FCSA would also introduce a special report on the role of women in development in partnership with the Dubai Women Establishment, National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, and the Arab Youth Center.
On its participation in GWFD 2020, H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, FCSA Director-General stated: “FCSA is proud to actively participate in GWFD 2020 by contributing to the main agenda and providing the essential support to this important global event. GWFD 2020 is a platform to document the UAE sustained achievements in realizing gender balance and women empowerment in all areas.”
“FCSA would make sure to shed light on the UAE notable achievements in areas of laws, procedural improvements and the results achieved due to accurate and updated data, and their repercussions on the most important global competitiveness reports and indicators,” H.E. Lootah added.
Plenary Sessions
H.E. Hanan Ahli, Executive Director of the Competitiveness and SDGs Sector at FCSA, said: “FCSA would showcase its experience in several dossiers on women’s empowerment and their relationship to achieving SDGs 2030 through supporting decision-makers. Such support is realized by providing and making the accurate and up-to-date data accessible to them, and introducing legislative and procedural improvements to laws on women and their role in society, as well as the economic and knowledge development processes.”
H.E. Ahli stated: “FCSA aims through its participation in GWFD 2020 to showcase the adopted best practices in UAE which in total designed to achieve sustainable development. We would also present UAE’s success stories in harnessing the competitiveness strategy to achieve humanitarian goals, in addition to the most important lessons learned in producing and making data on women’s empowerment accessible to the public.”
An Interactive and Figure-Based Screen Highlighting Emirati Women Leadership
As part of the its input to the forum, FCSA plans to reveal an interactive display screen to all visitors and guests to view the recent data, statistics, and indicators of global competitiveness achieved by UAE in addition to all that related to supporting and enhancing women’s leadership, pioneering and social role in UAE. This data is displayed in a unique interactive visual style which facilitate displaying and explaining the data and indicators smoothly and simply.”
Noteworthy, the second edition of GWFD2020 would tackle several thematic subjects that present diverse insights and international experiences from around the world. Part of the prominent dossiers that would be addressed is the role of women in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and their contribution to achieving SDGs and the innovation industry. GWFD 2020 agenda would also address other several topics, namely peace and prosperity, the role of governments in developing strategies to ensure gender balance, and harnessing modern technology to achieve this balance and the most effective empowerment in all areas.
The Ministry of Community Development announced the launch of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2024, in cooperation with national statistics centers in all emirates of the country, in a comprehensive national initiative that will continue for a whole year. The survey covers about 19,000 households nationwide and aims to provide a series of data and indicators related to the economic and social lifestyles of families, in addition to studying the conditions and standards of living within the country, and the seasonal changes that families go through for their income and spending over a whole year. Leadership’s Vision Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Community Development, said: "In accordance with the vision of the wise leadership, the UAE launched The National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, with the aim of moving from the concept of a good life to a comprehensive concept of integrated wellbeing," stressing the commitment of the Ministry of Community Development to continue improving the aspects of life for individuals and families through a scientific approach that seeks to progress development plans and programs and renewable services that touch the reality of the needs of Emirati families, which supports their cohesion and stability and protects their members within the framework of a sustainable development plan. Her Excellency pointed out that the survey on household income and expenditure represents a major step the importance that the Ministry and its partners are working on at a state level to feed the database of families, and this is integrated with the plans and initiatives that the Ministry is working on to serve the community in the UAE. For his part, His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, stressed that the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, places providing a decent life for Emirati families as a priority, and aims to enhance their quality of life and happiness, to ensure a decent and sustainable life and a bright future for all family members. His Excellency praised the efforts of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre from developing the "Household Income and Expenditure Survey" project and continuously stressing awareness from the beginning of the importance of this survey, which provides data and figures that constitute a reality of household income and expenditure levels in the country, which constitutes in its objectives a major step for decision-makers and officials to identify the data and indicators resulting from the survey, develop strategic development plans, in addition to implementing initiatives, whether social or economic, to improve all aspects of life for individuals and families, which would reflect positively on all components of these families, hence providing a decent quality of life that enhances their happiness. His Excellency highlighted that the Community Development Department in Abu Dhabi places great emphasis on the family, considering it the "foundation and nucleus" for a cohesive and interconnected society that contributes to the progress and prosperity of the emirate. This has led to the launch of the department’s "Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy," which is a comprehensive plan aimed at continuing to empower families and supporting their efforts in the emirate. This strategy encompasses children, youth, elderly citizens, residents, and all individuals, ensuring the provision of a nurturing and healthy environment for all families.
Quality of Life
Her Excellency Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in the Government of Dubai, said: "The UAE, under the leadership of the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, believes that enhancing the quality of life of families is a great priority, and is working to enhance and consolidate it for the benefit of achieving the gains of all its members." Her Excellency pointed out that the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2024 represents a qualitative step to update data and information that will support decision-makers and officials in developing Strategic plans and qualitative initiatives that improve the lives of families in the UAE, indicating that the Community Development Authority is working to provide multiple social services and programs aimed at improving the lives of the individual and society, and strengthening family ties to build a cohesive society.
International standards
For his part, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, said that the data collection process is carried out according to specific international principles and standards, stressing that dealing with the data that will be collected through the survey will be confidential, and will be used for the purposes of research and statistical study.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi called on members of the community to cooperate fully to make this survey a success and support the planning process for the economic and social development of the UAE.
5 years
Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre stated that the United Arab Emirates is witnessing the implementation of a Family Income and Expenditure Survey every five years. Experts from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, in collaboration with national statistical centers, have developed an approved scientific design for the sample of households to be visited. Hanan Ahli added that the survey will provide outputs related to the economic and social levels of families, contributing to empowering and supporting decision-makers in the formulation of economic and social policies. It will also provide data and results that enhance all aspects of life for individuals and families in the country. She noted that the survey sample will cover all emirates in the country, involving approximately 19,000 households, and represents an advanced mechanism to survey aspects of consumer spending in areas such as housing, education, health, and more.
A Careful Approach
In the same context, Abdullah Gharib Al Qamzi, Acting Director General of the Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi, confirmed that the samples were designed according to a proportional distribution method based on the number of households in the emirate. This approach ensures the required level of accuracy through an integrated process conducted in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center and national statistical centers, using the latest scientific methods. Al Qamzi said: "The Household Income and Expenditure Survey is carried out periodically to provide data on household income and expenditure. According to demographic and family characteristics, studying the levels of income and expenditure of the family and the individual and showing its relationship to economic and social factors, in addition to the distribution of individuals and families according to income and expenditure groups, collecting the necessary data to support the relevant projects, and estimating the national accounts related to income and consumption.
Spending Patterns
Younus AlNasser is the Assistant Director General, Digital Dubai & CEO, Dubai Data Establishment, said: "The Household Income and Expenditure Survey is in line with the higher national trends that are inspired by the vision of ‘We the UAE 2031’, which stipulates the establishment of the most prosperous society on a global level. The survey also embodies the importance of relying on digital data to draw conclusions and make decisions that contribute to building a brighter future, achieving community happiness, and consolidating the UAE’s leading position in various relevant global indicators".
Dr. Hajar Saeed Al-Hubaishi, Executive Director of Ajman Statistics Center, said The Household Income and Expenditure Survey aims to calculate the average income and expenditure of the individual and family. This data is linked to multiple factors such as education, profession, and activities. economic, as well as demographic, social and economic aspects. The survey provides accurate indicators on the monthly income and expenditure of households and individuals and helps estimate the current demand for goods and services. It also makes it possible to predict the future needs of the population with regard to goods and services.
Community Well-Being
Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shayeb Al-Naqbi, Director-General of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development, pointed out that the data of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey provide the necessary indicators to assess the level of well-being of households and individuals. By knowing the characteristics of the housing inhabited by the family, the durable goods available to it, the expenses of families on various items of expenditure, and identifying the activities of the informal sector, such as the activity of agriculture within the family sector (self-production outside the establishments), and its importance to the national economy. Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of the Fujairah Statistics Centre, said that the household income and expenditure survey will meet the needs of the SNA of data necessary to prepare national accounts related to the final consumption of households, in addition to measuring the inflation rate, and calculating the quantities and values of consumption of goods and services to estimate the demand for them in the future."
In recognition of Inventing the Geospatial Data Hub for SDGs
Dubai, UAE- 6th February 2020:
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) succeeded in putting firm hands on the “Excellence in GIS Implementation (EGI) Award” in the category of GIS Sustainable Development. FCSA received the award during its participation in the “GOVWORX’20” Conference recently organized in Dubai by "GISTEC" Company.
The award is granted to federal and local government authorities to recognize their contributions to implementing geographic information systems (GIS). FCSA received the award in a credit of the efforts exerted to develop the "Geospatial Data Hub for the Sustainable Development Goals”, which is part of the “Geospatial Statistical System” initiative launched to expand the scope of implementing the geographic information, and achieving the optimal use of the geographic planning in statistics, surveying, measuring indicators, and monitoring the UAE progress is the area of sustainable development.
H.E. Mohamed Hasan, Executive Director of the National Statistics and Data Sector at FCSA, availed this opportunity to highlight the FCSA commitment and relentless efforts exerted to the most advanced technologies in the area data sciences to ensure getting accurate information. He pointed out that this achievement is the result of fruitful and active partnerships between FCSA and several federal and local government authorities in the UAE.
“We are proud of this remarkable achievement made by FCSA. It is my pleasure to extend my appreciation to the team who invented, developed, and accomplished the geospatial data project for the sustainable development goals,” he added.
Noteworthy, the “Geospatial Statistical Systems” cover three underpinning pillars. The first pillar deals with the single map, which is the fundamental pillar for survey planning and conducting geographical analyses. In addition to the single map, there is the national map of the seven emirates, designed to present the demographic data, and community facilities in the health and education sectors.
The second pillar addressed the issue of empowering the national geographic statistics, including national administrative statistics data and the national survey data. Such data take advantage of the demographic data sets and community facilities to enrich data and support statistical analysis.
The third pillar covers the Geospatial Data Hub for the Sustainable Development Goals, with sights set to make the FCSA’s statistical indicators public. The hub established by the FCSA has been linked to the UN Stats Open SDG Data Hub, which is designed to monitor and record the countries’ progress in achieving the SDGs through the feature of synchronizing and sharing the data provided by the FCSA’s hub.
Since its birth in 2007, the annual Excellence in GIS Implementation (EGI) Award has become the most prestigious award in MENA and India in the area of GIS. It is given to authorities and organizations which excel in using GIS implementations and earn the highest scores as per the criteria set by the EGI independent jury.
The General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Councils for Sustainable Development Goals 2030 concluded a series of events organized in conjunction with the work of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28), which included the Sustainable Development Goals Forum, in addition to many developmental initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening international partnerships in confronting the effects of climate change, eradicating poverty and protecting the planet, which will positively reflect on societies of future generations.
The SDG’s Forum discussed a number of goals in its sessions, including the fourth goal "education" and its importance as one of the decisive factors in contributing to advancing climate action, the seventh goal "clean energy", and the thirteenth goal "climate action". The forum concluded with the speech of His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Chairman of the World Council for the goal 11 "sustainable cities and communities".
The forum was attended by a group of experts on sustainable development goals in the UAE, and was attended by members of the global councils and a group of global specialists and advisers participating in COP28.
His Excellency, Abdulla Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Chairman of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, stressed the UAE government’s constant endeavor to enhance and support international efforts to achieve the SDGs, and pointed to the country’s pioneering experience that has been continuous for many years in this field, the latest achievement of which was the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to invest $ 100 billion in financing climate action and renewable and clean energy. The UAE is committed to investing an additional $130 billion over the next seven years, reflecting the visions of the wise leadership and its tireless work to support global efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
H.E. Abdullah Lootah said that the world is facing great challenges in its march to implement the 2030 Agenda, in many areas including poverty, finance, climate change and others, and that the National Committee on SDG’s works to harness all available capabilities, and exchange information and experiences with stakeholders on the widest scale, to find practical solutions to reduce unprecedented climate change. He stressed the importance of youth participation in the success of efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals, and praised the active role of youth in COP28, which included the participation of the Young Leaders Program to achieve the sustainable development goals in more than 10 sessions, covering the topics of epidemics and health, women’s empowerment, financing and gender balance, among others.
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, held a key session to discuss the importance of mobilizing financing and intensifying efforts to tackle poverty in a radical way. The SDG Youth Council actively participated in several conference sessions held in the Blue and Green Zones, with the presence and participation of government officials and decision-makers.
The General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals concluded its participation in the activities of the COP28 conference, by launching the second generation of sustainable buses in partnership with Emirates Transport, as part of the "Road to Sustainability" campaign.
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