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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Dubai, Oct. 9 — The National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals (NSGs), in partnership with the Bostirti Institute and the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goal 13, has launched the first-of-its-kind Studio 2030 podcast that provides content on sustainability in Arabic, aimed at members of the community.
The podcast aims to provide rich content on sustainability, to keep pace with the more severe impacts of climate change, environmental, social and economic challenges in the Middle East and North Africa, and seeks to raise community awareness of the climate and sustainability challenges associated with the global sustainable development goals, by introducing them in a simplified manner, which contributes to enhancing community participation in building the future.
Studio 2030 podcast will be presented by Ibrahim Al-Zoubi, President of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goals No. 13 (Climate Change Action), and the podcast will be broadcast across various platforms such as YouTube, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Podio, Spotify, and Anghami Podcast.
H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, said The Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals said that active community participation in supporting governments’ efforts to achieve the global sustainable development goals is a key factor to accelerate the achievement of sustainability goals, and to consolidate their culture and practices as an approach to community life, pointing out that the podcast "Studio 2030" will work to enhance and build community awareness, and provide members of Arabic-speaking communities with a new perspective focused on achieving sustainability, and continuous work to address the major global challenges that we will witness in the future.
He said that the initiative of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals to launch this platform distinguished in its content and the way it presents global sustainability challenges, comes as part of the government’s efforts to support the country’s initiatives, enhance its leading global role in shaping the future, and participate in leading the global pace seeking to achieve the global sustainable development goals.
Ibrahim Al Zoubi, President of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goals on SDG 13 (Climate Change Action), said: "Studio 2030 podcast will present the latest developments and solutions related to the SDGs and their impact. to the world and the Middle East and Africa region in particular, and will reveal the most prominent solutions and aspects of cooperation between all segments of society to achieve these goals." "I am honored to host the most prominent minds and guests who will enrich the discussion and share their practical experiences."
Through its platform, Studio 2030 podcast brings together experts, innovators and thinkers to talk about the Sustainable Development Goals, and in each episode, its followers will discover new ideas, challenges and innovative solutions to build a more sustainable and inclusive future, in addition to the latest trends in sustainable development and its links to daily life.
The podcast series will address key global and regional trends, showcase their potential impact on the MENA region and emerging markets, and provide actionable guidance, while Studio 2030 will introduce the community to how to implement the SDGs locally, ongoing initiatives, innovative solutions and emerging technologies that allow countries to overcome challenges. The
UAE’s National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals was formed in January 2017 and chaired by H.E. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center is the secretariat of the committee, which includes the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and 13 federal government entities. The Committee aligns the SDGs with national priorities, supports the implementation of the SDGs, and collaborates with local and international partners to expand the circle of active participants in the implementation of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
ABU DHABI, 27th September, 2023
Their collaboration also aims to improve the country’s stature in quality of life and competitiveness indexes related to women in international reports.
Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the GWU, and Hanan Ahli, Director of the FCSC, signed the MoU.
Al Suwaidi stressed that the optimal utilisation of data and technology could help provide accurate information for decision-makers in a timely manner, allowing them to adopt a forward-looking vision.
She also highlighted the importance of strengthening partnerships with relevant national entities, which will allow the GWU to implement the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the Nation", Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), and translate them into effective initiatives and strategies that outline a sustainable future for women and strengthen the role of Emirati women in all aspects of life.
Ahli highlighted the importance of leveraging information and statistics to improve decision-making and draft policies that affect women’s empowerment.
The MoU will enable the drafting of innovative strategies and initiatives that strengthen the role of Emirati women, highlight the UAE’s related efforts, and improve the country’s performance in international competitiveness indexes, she added.
The National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, in partnership with Emirates Transport, launched the "Road to Sustainability" campaign, which is organized as part of the UAE government’s efforts and projects in the Year of Sustainability, and within the framework of initiatives to enhance community awareness of the global sustainable development goals, and the importance of achieving them to ensure a better future for societies. A large number of government agencies and companies are participating in the campaign at the national level, and will continue until the end of 2024, and aims to spread awareness at the national level of the global goals for sustainable development.
H.E. Abdullah Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, stressed that the campaign embodies the UAE government’s approach to motivating community members to adopt a sustainable lifestyle that contributes to building a better world for future generations.
Alex Rentier, CEO of Emirates Transport, expressed the company’s blessing for this purposeful national campaign.
The campaign was launched at the Head Office Building of the Emirates Transport in Dubai, in the presence of H.E. Abdullah Lootah and Shatha Al Hashimi, an advisor in the Government Experience Exchange Office. The event included a presentation that discussed the history of transportation in the UAE since its inception and gave a brief overview of its services. Following that, the "oad to Sustainability" started from its first station at the company’s headquarters, commencing its extended agenda until the end of the next year. The campaign utilizes an electric bus provided by the company to facilitate the team’s travels to various stations, destinations, and entities across different regions of the country.
Khaled Shukr, the Director of Quality, Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Department at Emirates Transport, explained that the electric bus has a capacity for 41 passengers in addition to the driver. It operates on a 315-kilowatt-hour battery that can be fast-charged in one hour and forty minutes (with a 180-kilowatt charger), allowing it to travel approximately 300 kilometers on a single charge.
H.E. Abdulla Lootah is the Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, delivered a lecture at the New York University (NYU) in the United States.
During the lecture, His Excellency called for the strengthening of academic and research partnerships to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The lecture was attended by NYU graduate students from the School of Professional Studies, the Global Affairs and Global Security Program, and Conflict and Cybercrime Program, and the Division in Programs in Business and Global Sport.
His Excellency discussed the importance of the role of academic institutions and universities in promoting international cooperation and partnership, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and excellence in the research and development efforts. He reiterated that doing so will also contribute to SDG 17 – which calls for plans to revitalize global partnerships for sustainable development.
Attended by Angie Kamath, Dean of the NYU School of Professional Studies, along with NYU’s administrative, academic, and research members, the lecture highlighted the UAE’s multi-faceted competitiveness, positioning it as a worldwide focal point for visionaries, researchers, and accomplished professionals who have chosen the UAE as their home and workplace.
Positive Growth Rates Surpass Expectations: UAE Economy Demonstrates Resilience with a 7.9% Growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Abdullah bin Touq:
· The UAE government adopts an innovative economic model that serves its future vision through the adoption of flexible economic policies that align with global changes.
· The numbers confirm the robust economic performance of the country, achieving positive growth rates that exceeded the estimates of analysts and specialized international institutions.
· Estimates of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices for the year 2022 exceeded 1.86 trillion dirhams, and at constant prices, 1.62 trillion dirhams.
Dubai, June 25 (WAM) – Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri affirmed that the preliminary estimates for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the UAE for the year 2022, issued by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, confirm the resilience of the country’s economic performance. It achieved positive growth rates that exceeded the estimates of analysts and specialized international institutions. The GDP of the country in 2022, at constant prices, reached 1.62 trillion dirhams, achieving a positive growth of 7.9%. At current prices, it reached 1.86 trillion dirhams, with an increase exceeding 337 billion dirhams compared to 2021, achieving a growth of 22.1%. This reflects the wisdom of the economic policies pursued by the government of the UAE and confirms the strength and stability of the UAE economy amid the global economic conditions and geopolitical repercussions.
His Excellency said: " The government of the United Arab Emirates, thanks to the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the State, may God preserve him, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President of the State, the Prime Minister, the Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, works on building an innovative economic model that serves its future vision. This is achieved by adopting flexible economic policies that rely on speed and accuracy in responding to global changes. The government also embraces stimulating economic strategies, proactive economic plans based on economic diversification, and improvements in economic procedures and legislation. This preserves the country’s status as an attractive investment environment continuously, enhances foreign trade, and openness to the world as a component of international economic relations. The success and integration of these policies meet the requirements of sustainable development, achieve economic prosperity, and ensure a decent life for all citizens and residents of the country. Moreover, they contribute to establishing the leadership and competitiveness of the UAE at both regional and international levels."
H.E Hanan Ahli, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, commented, "The results and figures achieved confirm that the country’s economy continues to grow, both at the overall level and in terms of key economic sectors and activities. This contributes to reinforcing the policy of economic diversification by increasing the relative importance of non-oil activities in the national economy. It aligns with the state’s economic policies to reduce reliance on the oil economy, establish a knowledge-based and innovative economy, and enhance non-oil national industries."
Her Excellency added, "The per capita share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the UAE has grown by an unprecedented rate of 24.7% over the past six years, despite the annual increase in the population. In 2022, the per capita share of the GDP achieved a growth rate of 21.1% compared to 2021, confirming the resilience and success of the UAE economy. It also affirms the success of the economic policies pursued by the government in achieving prosperity and a high quality of life in the society of the UAE."
Enhancing the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022.
The activation of innovative economic initiatives related to non-oil sectors and activities positively contributed to enhancing the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022. The GDP at constant prices amounted to 1 trillion, 623 billion, and 517 million dirhams. The non-oil GDP at constant prices reached 1 trillion, 174 billion, and 615 million dirhams, achieving positive growth across vital sectors.
According to preliminary estimates of the Gross Domestic Product released by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, the value added to transport and storage activities had the largest share of growth in the GDP at constant prices, unprecedentedly reaching 20.2% compared to 2021. This was driven by an increase in international flight passengers and the country’s growth in air transport movements, with national airlines achieving the highest growth rate in recent years in this tourism-related sector.
The accommodation and food services sector, reflecting hotel and restaurant activities, also experienced significant growth of 13.2%. Additionally, health and social services activities demonstrated remarkable growth, reaching 13% compared to 2021.
The non-oil sectors played a crucial role in supporting the national economy and enhancing the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The manufacturing industries achieved added value in the GDP amounting to 179 billion dirhams, registering a growth rate of 8.7% compared to 2021. The most significant contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP was represented by the value added in the wholesale and retail trade activity, reaching approximately 206 billion dirhams. This accounted for a contribution rate of 12.7% to the UAE’s overall GDP.
Real estate activities also experienced growth in 2022, amounting to 12% with a value of around 90 billion dirhams in GDP at constant prices. The positive growth in non-oil activities also had a favorable impact on the financial and insurance sector, which achieved a growth rate of 8.4%, contributing 134 billion dirhams to the overall constant GDP in 2022.
Dubai, Feb. 16 (WAM) — In a move to promote digital transformation in the UAE and to employ big data to support decision-making, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center (FCCC) announced on the sidelines of the World Government Summit, which concluded yesterday in Dubai, the signing of cooperation agreements and strategic partnerships with the aim of benefiting from the large inventory of big data produced by major international and national companies producing data, thus contributing to supporting decision-making and building development policies and strategic initiatives.
The cooperation and partnership agreements signed by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center included the signing of an agreement with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, as well as an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim, one of the oldest national brands with a regional reach, which owns a major chain of shopping malls, stores and entertainment establishments in the Middle East and North Africa.
– Visa and partnership in vital sectors.
Under the cooperation agreement with Visa, the UAE government, represented by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, will be able to develop development initiatives. Based on the data provided by Visa to the health, education, tourism, consumption and other vital sectors data, which contributes to drawing an accurate perception of reality that is reflected on the community through innovative government initiatives, which contribute to improving the quality of life and promoting sustainable well-being.
– Majid Al Futtaim, mutual collaboration for knowledge partnerships. According to the agreement signed between the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and Majid Al Futtaim, the two parties will work together to cooperate in the fields of statistical data and information, exchange experiences and information to enhance the country’s competitiveness in global reports and indicators, in addition to cooperation in the implementation of statistical surveys, training and holding seminars and workshops related to data science and statistics.
Joe Abi Akl, Chief Corporate Development Officer and Chief Communications Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, stressed the importance of strategic partnerships and understandings between the public and private sectors, which represent an added value in optimizing the use of data to support innovative initiatives and knowledge-based government policies.
It is worth noting that all data The resulting agreements of understanding concluded between the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center and its strategic partners are guaranteed confidentiality and protected by the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data, which represents an integrated framework to ensure the confidentiality of information, and protect the privacy of community members by providing sound governance for data management and protection, as the law defines the general frameworks for dealing with data, how to collect, process and store it, means to ensure its protection, and the rights and duties of all concerned parties.
Dubai, Dec. 8 (WAM) – The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre presented the model of the United Arab Emirates government and its exceptional experience over the past 50 years, during this time, the UAE succeeded in enhancing its sustainable development, propelling regional and international trade, which had a positive impact on the national economy. This presentation took place within the framework of the Uzbekistan Economic Forum, organized by the government of Uzbekistan in the capital, Tashkent.
A delegation from the UAE government, led by Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, showcased the UAE’s experience in education, gender balance, and the significance of these elements in achieving well-being and quality of life. This presentation occurred in a key session titled "Developing Human Capital to Promote Comprehensive Development" during the forum. The event was attended by over 300 international officials and experts from institutions like the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, Standard & Poor’s, as well as high-level ministers and officials from the Uzbek government, prominent figures in the finance and business sectors, and media outlets from around the world.
The delegation’s participation comes within the framework of the strategic partnership between the governments of the UAE and Uzbekistan, which was signed in 2019 and has witnessed rapid development in the relations between the two friendly countries. This partnership includes the enhancement of knowledge exchange, successful experiences, and government modernization initiatives, benefiting from the experiences of the UAE government.
Her Excellency Hanan Ahli emphasized that the UAE government primarily focuses on embedding a culture of innovation in the governmental work environment. This culture has been a key driver in launching hundreds of innovative initiatives and successful projects. She added that the UAE government is committed to promoting the exchange of successful governmental experiences with other governments worldwide. The exceptional experiences of the UAE serve as a fundamental pillar that enables governments to develop their own models of governmental work, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
She expressed her pride in sharing the UAE government model and highlighting its experiences, reflecting the directives and visions of the UAE’s leadership, aimed at enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange with friendly countries like Uzbekistan. Both nations have a strategic partnership in government modernization and development.
The forum provided a unique opportunity for participants to discuss economic and developmental plans, means of enhancing competitiveness in the context of more open and integrated international and regional economies, initiatives to improve the investment climate, policies for improving living standards, promoting sustainable and comprehensive economic growth, and various aspects of global competitiveness and ease of doing business.
The participation of the UAE government highlighted the importance of promoting digital transformation and its impact on the development of government work, education, services, and more. It also covered the UAE’s journey in implementing competitive strategies and elevating its global competitiveness rankings over the years, resulting in significant achievements.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center presented the model of the United Arab Emirates government and its exceptional experience over the past 50 years. During this time, the UAE succeeded in enhancing sustainable development, propelling regional and international trade, which had a positive impact on the national economy. This presentation took place within the framework of the "Economic Achievements and Future Prospects of Uzbekistan" forum, organized by the Uzbek government in the capital, Tashkent.
A delegation from the UAE government, led by Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center, showcased the UAE’s experience in education, gender balance, and the significance of these elements in achieving well-being and quality of life. This presentation occurred in a key session titled "Developing Human Capital to Promote Comprehensive Development" during the forum. The event was attended by over 300 international officials and experts from institutions like the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, Standard & Poor’s, as well as high-level ministers and officials from the Uzbek government, prominent figures in the finance and business sectors, and media outlets from around the world.
This participation is part of the strategic partnership between the governments of the UAE and Uzbekistan, which was signed in 2019 and has witnessed rapid development in the relations between the two friendly countries. This partnership includes the enhancement of knowledge exchange, successful experiences, and government modernization initiatives, benefiting from the UAE government’s experience.
Her Excellency Hanan Ahli emphasized that the UAE government primarily focuses on embedding a culture of innovation in the governmental work environment. This culture has been a key driver in launching hundreds of innovative initiatives and successful projects. She added that the UAE government is committed to promoting the exchange of successful governmental experiences with other governments worldwide. The exceptional experiences of the UAE serve as a fundamental pillar that enables governments to develop their own models of governmental work, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Ahli expressed her pride in sharing the exceptional UAE government model and shedding light on its experiences, reflecting the directives and visions of the UAE’s leadership, aimed at enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange with friendly countries like Uzbekistan. Both nations have a strategic partnership in government modernization and development.
The forum provided a unique opportunity for participants to discuss economic and developmental plans, means of enhancing competitiveness in the context of more open and integrated international and regional economies, initiatives to improve the investment climate, policies for improving living standards, promoting sustainable and comprehensive economic growth, and various aspects of global competitiveness and ease of doing business.
The participation of the UAE government highlighted the importance of promoting digital transformation and its impact on the development of government work, education, services, and more. It also covered the UAE’s journey in implementing competitive strategies and elevating its global competitiveness rankings over the years, resulting in significant achievements.
It’s worth noting that the strategic partnership agreement in government modernization between the UAE government and the Republic of Uzbekistan, signed two years ago, aims to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and successful experiences in governmental work across various areas, including governmental accelerators, excellence, quality, services, smart applications, performance, government innovation, leadership programs, capacity building, programming, the future of education and the economy, global competitiveness, and business ease, among others, with the goal of positively impacting the development of Uzbekistan’s governmental system.
DUBAI, 12th July, 2017 (WAM) –
Senior officials of Smart Dubai Office, SDO, have discussed with a high-level delegation from the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics ways to enhance mutual cooperation. Discussions also involved how to activate mechanisms and frameworks for joint work by the two entities, and to explore prospects for building future partnerships that serve common aspirations. Held at the Dubai Smart Office HQ, the meeting was chaired by Dr. Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr, Director-General of the Smart Dubai Office, and attended by Younis Al Nasser, CEO of Dubai Data Establishment, Wesam Lootah, CEO of Smart Dubai Government, Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics, and Mohamed Ahli, Executive Director of Statistics Sector, in addition to a number of officials from both entities.
Dr. Bin Bishr expressed her delight in exploring new horizons of fruitful partnership with the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics, and described the meeting as an ideal opportunity to consolidate efforts at all levels.
Smart Dubai has strategic partners that contributed to more than 137 smart initiatives and 1,129 smart services to the people. Holding such meetings at the local and federal levels underlines the importance of the concerted efforts to ensure the success of the Smart City model and export it to the world. It also sheds light on the methodologies and strategies needed to put Dubai at the forefront of smart cities, and highlight its position as a global model in adopting and employing modern technology for a sustainable future."
She stressed the need to work diligently and dedicate smart initiatives in all sectors to contribute to sustainable development and achieve the strategic goals in accordance with the vision of the wise leadership, which in turn contributes to positioning the emirate as a global destination on various levels and, achieve the happiness of the people of the UAE.
The meeting reviewed SDO’s role in spearheading the efforts to transform Dubai into a smart city. The roadmap and timeframe for Dubai Smart 2021 vision were presented at the meeting and a comprehensive presentation was made to the visiting delegation, explaining the initiatives and projects launched by SDO. The two sides also discussed ways to speed up joint institutional work to achieve the strategic objectives of both institutions.
Mr. Lootah said, "The success of our strategy that aims to enhance UAE international competitiveness and modernize the national statistical ecosystem depends on the successful partnership and collaboration of our partners in both federal and local government sector.
Our experience with Smart Dubai has always been valuable, as we learn from their innovative approaches and their commitment to achieve their goals and objectives. I look forward to our future collaboration with Smart Dubai on projects that will service the UAE society and brings them happiness and prosperity."
The delegation reviewed key performance indicators of Dubai Smart vision 2021, highlighting the importance of efficient performance in smart transformation and in achieving sustainability by applying the results of the indicators in policy making and future planning of SDO’s initiatives.
- The study underscores the growing importance of measuring public sentiment on public policy
- Focusing on the topic of tolerance in the nation by the public in and outside UAE
- Analyzing 1.4 million unique posts on social media
Dubai, UAE, Cape Town, South Africa – 11 June 2017
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) and BrandsEye, a world leading opinion mining company, announced today the completion of the first sentiment study conducted in the United Arab Emirates on the topic of tolerance in the UAE.
Working in coordination with the team of HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khaled Al Qassimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, the study focused primarily on the topic of tolerance and social media user’s opinion of the Minister’s announcements, activities and the news shared on the Minister’s official social media profiles.
During the research project, approximately 1.4 million unique posts shared by 172,000 social media users in the UAE were analyzed by opinion mining partner BrandsEye. BrandsEye uses a data analytics approach which combines search algorithms, crowd-sourcing and machine learning to accurately analyze conversations for sentiment and the topics driving that sentiment. The study was conducted over the period of three consecutive months earlier this year, and the findings were presented to Minister and her team during a recent visit to the FCSA headcounters.
The study findings highlighted that of all the posts analyzed, 20.5% expressed positive sentiment, 70% was neutral while only 4.5% of conversations were negative. Of the positive sentiment, 44% of the posts were expressed during the holidays in December were pictures of various religious communities in the UAE were shared practicing their faith in complete freedom. The remainder of the positive posts were praising the UAE policies and inclusion ,cohesion tolerance related activities and covering other topics such as low unemployment rates and attributing it to UAE providing an equal opportunity for everyone living on its land.
"The findings were very interesting and I am very delighted that people were mainly positive and/or neutral when it came to how they felt towards our announcements, programs and activities in and outside the UAE," commented HE Sheikh Lubna. "Policy and data are very interrelated in the decision making process. Knowing how people feel, adds a new layer of knowledge and insight that support drive more effective and impactful policies and initiatives for the people."
"Because of fake news, orchestrated and agenda-driven social engineering, many policy makers around the world are struggling to understand and collect accurate information and sentiment about their constituents. As decision makers, we have a grand responsibility to make sure we rely on accurate and effective scientific methods to have a better understanding of what really matters to the people," added HE Shaikha Lubna.
"We are very excited to be working with Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna’s office and the team in FCSA on this important project. The world of opinion mining is set to change the way governments and business conduct research, providing accurate data that will help drive better decision making at all levels," said JP Kloppers, BrandsEye CEO. "The sheer quantity of online conversations coupled with the instantaneous reactivity of this digital chatter has meant that sentiment-driven opinion data has become a mineable resource that gives one unique insight into how the public actually feel.
Kloppers added that fake news and what is known as ‘news feed bubbles’ are creating significant pockets of public opinion that are not based on truth, undermining the legitimacy (and demand for) their journalism. "Opinion mining offers a way for media to accurately measure and report on public opinion, regardless of its veracity," added Kloppers.
"Organizations around the world now have access to millions of relevant data points in both mature and developing markets. The data, if mined correctly, can provide insights that not only assist in decision-making, but also can shape product innovation and help reduce risk," said Abdulla Lootah, Director General of the FCSA.
"As a UAE federal government official reference on all matters related to statistics, competitiveness and data, it is part of FCSA’s mandate to explore, identify and adopt the latest global trends and technology to serve our stakeholders. Our collaboration with BrandsEye is just the beginning and to a new dimension on how we plan to transform the statistics and data business in the UAE. We look forward to more engagements on various topics across the UAE," concluded Mr. Lootah.
“President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a Federal Decree No. (6) for the year 2015 establishing the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) under the UAE Cabinet.
The new Authority, to be based in the emirate of Dubai, effectively replaces the National Bureau of Statistics and the Emirates Competitiveness Council by integrating the functions of both the entities.
As per the decree, the Authority will work to strengthen the UAE’s position across all global competitiveness indicators as well as promote sustainable development, in addition to serving as the apex body that organises and manages the statistics and competitiveness sectors.
The Authority is also mandated to build an integrated national statistical system. The establishment of the FCSA supports the goals of the UAE Vision 2021, a strategic roadmap to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by 2021.
Functions of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Aiming to support the UAE’s competitiveness indicators, the new Authority will undertake a wide array of functions to achieve its goals.
The functions of the Authority include proposing policies, strategies and plans for statistics and competitiveness in coordination with the government and the related entities, as well as evaluating international best practices in all areas of the statistics and competitiveness sectors.
The FCSA will also work to promote a culture of competitiveness, and provide training and support to all government entities for the advancement of statistics and competitive operations.
It will act as an incubator for promoting best and specialized national skills in the UAE, in addition to preparing and implementing a unified statistical system for various sectors in the country.
The Authority will also represent the nation at various international forums in the field of statistics and competitiveness. Enhancing coordination with local entities FCSA is entrusted with a bigger vision and wider tasks to make significant positive changes in strategies to strengthen the efforts of the UAE to increase its competitiveness, especially through information and data revolution.
As per the decree, the Authority is the first and only official reference for all matters related to competitiveness for global reports and surveys.
It will be also a source of official statistics regarding the nation. The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority also will serve as the main link between all the federal and local governments, as well as private sector and international organisations in all matters related to the competitiveness and statistics.
The new Federal decree also nullifies the Federal Law No. 9 of 2009 concerning the National Bureau of Statistics, and eliminates all regulations contrary to or inconsistent with its provisions.
The federal decree will be published in the official newspapers, and shall be effective from the day following the date of publishing. The UAE Cabinet also issued a decree appointing Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State, as Chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.
The board will include representatives from the Executive Councils of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Al Diwan Al Amiri in Fujairah.
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WEF: UAE Tops Arab World and 17th in Global Competitiveness Ranking
- UAE progresses in scores rate from 5.26 to 5.3 in 2017
- UAE ranked among innovation-based economies for the 11th year
- UAE maintains its rank as the best 20 global competitive economies for the fifth consecutive year
- UAE competitiveness rank supersedes advanced economies, like France, Belgium, Australia, South Korea and China
- UAE among first 20 countries globally in 70% of Competitiveness indicators (80 out of 114)
- The annual report is published by World Economic Forum and ranks the competitiveness of 137 countries
Dubai, UAE- 27 September 2017
In its most recent edition of the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, The World Economic Forum (Davos) has revealed that UAE has topped the Arab world and ranked 17th globally in global competitiveness ranking. The report also ranked UAE among the top 20 competitive economies globally for the fifth consecutive year. Additionally, it has indicated that UAE has maintained its ranking to be among the world’s most significant innovation-based economies for the 11th year. The results of the report were unveiled today to participants in the Annual Meetings of UAE Government as a global testament to the success of the Government’s strategy in establishing innovation culture in government institutions and consolidating competitiveness as a performance style and measuring the success of government services and initiatives aimed at realizing the happiness and welfare of the UAE community.
Commenting on the performance of the current year, HE Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairwoman of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority stated: "The results of this year’s competitiveness report came simultaneously with the UAE Annual Government Meeting sessions, marking as a global testament underscoring the importance monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of government services, to ensure they are consistent with guidelines and directions of set His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to adopt innovation-based approaches to maintain the ongoing progress in global competitiveness ranking and to realize our wise leadership’s vision in sustaining development across all sectors in the country".
H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, said that the UAE government has paid great attention to enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE in various fields, working to enhance the framework of a comprehensive vision that contributed to the principles of efficiency in the markets and improving the competences of the business environment. He pointed out that the various structural economic reforms in the UAE in recent years and the legislations and decisions that have taken place in various economic, administrative and institutional aspects have contributed to accelerating the growth of the economic activities of the country, enhancing the strategy of economic diversification and opening up the trade and providing a favorable business environment, confirming the country’s advanced level of competitiveness.
Malik Al Madani, Director of Competitiveness Strategy Department at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said: "By virtue of the wise leadership’s support and consolidation of the team efforts from federal and local entities, as well as the private sector, UAE today affirms its active global role in the world arena across various economic, social and technological sectors. We are working today as one team, under one vision and as per renewed plans and keeping pace with global changes. We will always be in line with our leadership’s aspirations of making UAE as one of the best countries in the world by the year 2021 marking the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of founding the Union."
Global Performance
UAE ranked first in the Arab world and 17th globally in the general competitiveness ranking by advancing in the scores rate of UAE performance from 5.26 in 2016 to 5.3 in 2017. By this achievement, UAE maintained its leading rank to be among the top 20 competitive economies according to the World Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 issued by the World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland. This report is considered one of the most reputable competitiveness reports that monitors on an annual-basis the performance and competitiveness of global economies in terms of strengths, weaknesses and impact on standards of living, prosperity and welfare of their nations.
The 2017-2018 Report monitored 137 economies and ranked them based on performance according to 114 indicators grouped within 12 main pillars that include: institutions, infrastructure, health and primary education, labor market efficiency and others. The report methodology is based on data and statistics issued by the participating countries, as well as opinion surveys and questionnaires sent to executives and senior private sector investors.
According to this year’s report, UAE has achieved an advanced ranking as a result of listing it within the top 10 globally in three main pillars. UAE came third globally in the Goods Market Efficiency Pillar, which is a global indication to the success of UAE’s economic diversification policy and the vision and strategic plans on performance efficiency of the UAE market. Furthermore, UAE came fifth globally in the Infrastructure Pillar, and this comes as a confirmation of the ongoing investment in infrastructure projects across the nation and the role this plays in sustaining UAE economy to become an attractive environment for business and investment. As for the Institution Pillar, which monitors the efficiency of government institutions, laws, and procedures dedicated for individuals and institutions, UAE has clinched the fifth place.
Progress in Most Significant Indicators
On a indicator level, UAE ranked among the top 20 countries in 80 out of total 114 indicators in the Global Competitiveness Report, which amounts to 70% of the indicators in total. The 2017-2018 Report witnessed great strides of the country’s performance in a number of key indicators, the most important of which are as shown in the following table:
| Indicator | Rank 2016 – 2017 |
Rank 2017 – 2018 |
No. of Jumps | |
| 1 | Inflation (Annual % Change) | 83 | 1 | 82 |
| 2 | Strength of Investor Protection | 49 | 9 | 40 |
| 3 | Mobile-broadband subscriptions | 20 | 2 | 18 |
| 4 | Protection of minority shareholders’ interests | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | Efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations | 20 | 13 | 7 |
| 6 | Ease of access to loans | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| 7 | Property rights | 20 | 14 | 6 |
| 8 | Efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | Transparency of government policymaking | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 10 | Diversion of public funds | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Efficient and High-Performing Government institutions
Within the Institutions Pillar, UAE moved to take up the first rank globally in "Efficiency of Government Spending" indicator, and ranked second globally in the "Public Trust in Politicians" and "Burden of Government Regulation" indicators, and ranked third globally in "Protection of Minority Shareholders’ Interests" indicator. All of this reflects the success of the country’s leadership’s strategy and well-founded steps taken to achieve high levels of performance and efficiency in government work at the federal and local levels, and with the aim to ensure the happiness and welfare of UAE citizens and residents.
World-Class Infrastructure
In the Infrastructure Pillar, UAE ranked first globally in the "The Quality of Roads" indicator, third globally in "Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure" and "Mobile-Cellular Telephone Subscriptions", ranked fourth globally for "Quality of overall infrastructure", "Quality of Port Infrastructure" and "Available Airline Seat Kilometres- millions/week" indicators. This performance reflects the success of UAE’s strategy to continue injecting investments for the development and improvement of the State’s infrastructure by extending new internal and external road networks, expanding airports, developing seaports and developing plans to link all emirates through rail networks as part of the Union Railway Project.
Attractive Markets Meeting Global Standards
Lauding the development and progress of UAE marketplace and economy, the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 revealed that UAE achieved advanced positions in various indicators in listed in pillars of "Goods Market Efficiency", "Labour Market Efficiency" and "Macroeconomic Environment". UAE topped the world countries in "Effect of taxation on incentives to invest" and "Inflation/ annual % change" indicators. Also, UAE is ranked second globally in both indices of "Country Capacity to Attract Talent" and "Country Capacity to Retain Talent" came third in "Effect of Taxation on Incentives to Work" indicator.
Technological Development and Innovation
As for the pillars of "Technological Readiness", "Business Sophistication" and "Higher Education and Training", UAE came first globally in the "Government Procurement of Advanced Technology Products" and ranked second in "Mobile-Broadband Subscriptions" indicator. Moreover, the UAE ranked third in both "State of Cluster Development" and "Availability of Scientists and Engineers", and fourth in "FDI and Technology Transfer" indicators.
The World Economic Forum
The Global Competitiveness Report issued by The World Economic Forum (Davos) in Switzerland is one of the world’s most important reports since its first edition published in 1971. The report aims to assist countries around the world to identify obstacles to sustainable economic growth and development of strategies to reduce poverty and increase levels of prosperity. The report assesses countries’ potentials to provide high levels of prosperity and well-being for their citizens. The report also provides a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and challenges facing the economies of countries.
FCSA: 9.1 million is UAE population in December 2016
Dubai, UAE – August 3rd 2017
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority announced today that the UAE population for the year 2016 is 9,121,167 according to administrative records dated until 31 December 2016. The population administrative records also showed that 6,298,294 are male and 2,822,873 are female, making the gender split in the UAE 69% male and 31% female.
The UAE is considered among the first countries in the region to reveal population count relying on national administrative data methodology. This methodology pertains many advantages such as very high accuracy, speed of processing and dissemination of data and significant financial savings in costs of field count and survey operation. Whereas there is virtually no direct cost in disseminating data based on national administrative records.
"Since the inception of the FCSA, one of our strategic objectives has always been to spare no effort in evolving and modernizing the statistical ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates in accordance with best and most advanced global standards and best practices,” said Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director General, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. “And thanks to the successful collaboration and support of our national partners and stakeholders in the UAE, we can now unveil the most up-to-date UAE population for the year 2016. We will be able to update the population number on annual basis."
Population data is one of the most important national data sets and is used for research, planning, decision-making support and policy formation. With the official population now available, UAE government entities, the international organizations and private sector will be able to use tis number in their research and studies.
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