The Innovation Professionals Program (IPP) was launched under the Dubai Government Excellence Program

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, attended the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the Innovation Professionals Program (IPP), launched by the Dubai Government Excellence Program, part of the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai.

During the graduation, His Highness said: “Dubai is a city that thrives on opportunities and envisions a future shaped by innovation, creativity and agility. Under the visionary leadership and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the culture of innovation has been deeply ingrained within the institutional work environment of the emirate. In this pursuit, our government has placed a paramount focus on fostering innovation and excellence to better serve society.”

His Highness highlighted the key role of the Dubai Government Excellence Program in launching initiatives that seek to enhance capabilities and competencies within government entities. The Program’s offerings are testament to Dubai's success in cultivating a culture of innovation and fostering a diverse and flexible government environment, he said.

The graduation was also attended by His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Government Excellence Program, and Dr. Hazza Al Nuaimi, Coordinator General of the Dubai Government Excellence Program.

The Innovation Professionals Program aims to enhance the innovative capabilities of Dubai government employees and foster a proactive mindset and culture of innovation within government entities. It achieves this by providing exposure to global methodologies and innovative practical tools.

Through the Program, individuals are empowered to embrace innovation as an integral part of their daily work, ultimately leading to the improvement of the lives of the people of Dubai.

The first batch of the Innovation Professionals Program consisted of 50 government employees from 30 entities. Throughout their six-month participation, the graduates familiarised themselves with global best practices in innovation and developed creative solutions for challenges faced by the Dubai government.

The Innovation Professionals Program, developed in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, Ashridge University and specialised global innovation institutions, includes three main training modules. The ‘Learning Path’ focuses on building innovative thinking and introducing new topics and tools. The ‘Experimentation Path’ enables participants to apply these tools to create solutions for key challenges. The ‘Exploration Journey’ exposes participants to global innovation practices through seminars and field trips to institutions focused on innovation within the UAE.

Following the success of the inaugural edition, the Dubai Government Excellence Program has announced the launch of the second cohort of the Innovation Professionals Program with the participation of 35 employees from 29 government entities.

The Innovation Professionals Program plays a vital role in nurturing creativity, empowering government employees and advancing innovation across Dubai. It reflects the emirate’s commitment to embracing a future-oriented approach and seizing the great opportunities that lie ahead.

Crown Prince: Forward planning and preparation are key elements of the sustainable development strategy adopted by Mohammed bin Rashid.

“Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s best destinations to live and work and a place that offers a stable and dynamic environment for people to achieve their highest potential”

His Highness approves AED80 billion Sewerage System designed to serve the needs of Dubai’s population for the next 100 years

Sewerage System will reduce carbon emissions in the sector by 25%, promote circular economy growth and help raise Dubai’s competitiveness and quality of life

New Sewerage System will help deliver the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, as well as the city’s sustainable development goals, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Urban Plan 2040.

His Highness also approves the adoption of the future model of Dubai SME

New Dubai SME strategy aims to create 86,000 new jobs, empower 8,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, establish 27,000 projects, and contribute AED9 billion to the emirate’s GDP

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, today chaired a meeting of the Council, during which he approved several groundbreaking projects to support the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed emphasised the significance of forward planning and preparation, which are key elements of the sustainable development strategy adopted by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This approach has been a key driver of Dubai’s rise as a leading global city as well as its ability to set new standards in future readiness and create an integrated infrastructure that rivals the world’s best. Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s best destinations to live and work and a place that offers a stable and dynamic environment for people to achieve their highest potential.

Private sector partnerships

The Executive Council further approved the centennial Sewerage System, a major new municipal project for Dubai. The system, which will create one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable infrastructure, will be constructed in partnership with the private sector. The project has been designed to serve the needs of the population for the next 100 years in alignment with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Urban Plan 2040.

With an investment of AED80 billion, the Sewerage System will reduce carbon emissions in the sector by 25%, promote circular economy principles, and contribute to Dubai’s global development and competitiveness indicators related to quality of life. The private sector will help realise these goals by working hand in hand with the government to enhance future readiness.

His Highness has directed the Dubai Municipality to open the way for private sector companies to partner with it to implement the sewage system, reflecting their vital contribution to the development of Dubai’s integrated and advanced infrastructure. Private sector investment in projects geared towards achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 is set to exceed AED1 trillion by 2033.

Fostering exceptional business ventures

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed emphasised the importance of supporting entrepreneurship and empowering emerging projects. His Highness noted: “Small and medium enterprises continue to receive the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Over the past two decades, the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem has provided Dubai’s economy with dynamic growth based on knowledge and innovation. Today, SMEs play a pivotal role, accounting for the largest share of businesses in Dubai.”

To further empower the role of the SME sector, His Highness approved the adoption of the future model of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME). Through this strategy, Dubai aims to support innovative ideas and projects, create 86,000 new job opportunities, enable 8,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, establish 27,000 projects, and contribute approximately AED9 billion to the emirate’s GDP, aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

Future-focused infrastructure

The approval of the new sewerage system positions Dubai as one of the world’s most modern, advanced, and sustainable cities. It will help deliver the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, as well as the city’s sustainable development goals by improving operational efficiencies and extending the system's lifespan from 25 to 100 years, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Urban Plan 2040.

As part of this mega project, strategic tunnel projects will be implemented in Dubai’s Jebel Ali and Warsan stations. The initiative includes reducing the number of main wastewater treatment plants from 20 to two in urban areas, as well as reducing main pumping stations from 13 to two. Moreover, sub-pumping stations will be reduced from 110 to less than 20 in urban areas. Additionally, treatment plants will be transformed into clean plants, and recycled water will be maximised.

Building the economy of the future

The new strategy of Dubai SME, which operates under the Department of Economy and Tourism, aims to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Dubai across all economic sectors and stakeholders. This approach is key to fostering a flexible and diversified future economy, contributing approximately AED9 billion to the GDP, creating 86,000 job opportunities, empowering 8,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, and supporting efforts to establish 27,000 projects. These efforts align with the aim of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to raise the demand for local services and goods to AED3 trillion by 2033.

The strategy expands the entity’s scope to include emerging projects in the new economy and key sectors, supporting 100% Emirati-owned establishments, promoting emerging projects in the new economy for Emiratis and other nationalities, and assisting high-growth companies in both new and traditional sectors to access global markets. Furthermore, it supports the growth of independent next-generation companies.

The strategy targets specific sectors for Emirati entrepreneurs, with a focus on future-oriented, technology-based, and scalable business models. These sectors include financial services, advanced manufacturing, transportation, energy technology, retail and e-commerce, professional services and new business models, food and agricultural technology, health and society, and education technology.

Agreement enhances collaboration in tourism, culture and heritage, smart cities, health care, sports, digital economy, AI applications, software and automation

Abdulla Al Basti: Dubai seeks to establish strong networks of cooperation with cities around the world in line with Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision

MoU part of Dubai’s keenness to share the experiences and knowledge it has gained during its economic growth journey

Dubai and Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation. The MoU was signed by His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Aleksandar Šapić, Mayor of Belgrade.

Signing the agreement in Belgrade, HE Abdulla Al Basti said Dubai seeks to establish strong networks of cooperation with cities around the world in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Through such partnerships, Dubai seeks to share the experiences and knowledge it has gained in its economic growth journey and its development as a leading global business and investment destination, he added.

Framework for cooperation

The MoU outlines a framework for deepening cooperation between both sides in key sectors, including tourism, culture and heritage, smart cities, healthcare and sports. The MoU will also boost ties in the fields of digital economy, AI applications, software and automation. As a fast-growing global hub for emerging technologies, Dubai seeks to tap complementarities with Belgrade, an important centre for AI startups, especially in the field of food security. Serbia participated in Expo 2020 Dubai within the Mobility pavilion, showcasing its world-class advanced technology capabilities.

Under the agreement, experts and organisations from both sides will come together to design development plans for the two cities and develop mechanisms for boosting cooperation and knowledge exchange, encouraging economic cooperation, investments and information exchange to enhance the health, tourism and service sectors.

The MoU is the latest in a series of strategic agreements between Dubai and cities around the world, through which the emirate shares its world-leading expertise in service excellence, leadership, quality of life, opportunity creation, future-oriented technologies and the development of worldwide partnerships.