Source: Gulf News Report, www.gulfnews.com
Dubai: The UAE is growing steadily and has set its sights on the future, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said yesterday.
Shaikh Mohammad welcomed media delegations from 46 Arab and foreign countries and asked them to witness the boom in the political, economic, social and developmental fields.
The delegations have been invited by the National Media Council and will meet officials to discuss various issues.
They will also tour projects in Dubai as part of 38th National Day anniversary celebrations.
One economy
Shaikh Mohammad refuted claims that the global financial crunch has left negative effects on Dubai’s economy. He said Dubai and Abu Dhabi have one economy, the UAE economy.
“Everything we have is from God and everything in Dubai and Abu Dhabi belongs to the UAE and its people,” he said.
The Vice-President stressed that the UAE economy is growing steadily and that the country is looking forward to the future, citing the civil nuclear energy project and passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport.
Passenger traffic has exceeded 44 million over the past ten months of this year compared to 37 million in 2008. The airport is working at full capacity and hotels in the UAE have seen a higher occupancy rate.
“There are challenges, but there are also promising opportunities, and we have the necessary financial and human resources to face these challenges with our faith in God, our determination, ability and correct vision,” he said.
A German reporter told the Vice-President that he had visited the UAE in 1991 and could not believe that all the giant projects would be implemented and that Shaikh Mohammad’s vision would be realised.
The reporter said everything he sees cannot be imagined, to which Shaikh Mohammad replied that many people had doubts.
Big dreams
“They said you, Shaikh Mohammad, have big dreams, and now we tell them that we managed to turn the dream into a reality of great achievements which have put the UAE under the spotlight and attracted giant global companies looking for investments, safety and a future,” the Vice-President said.
“We have turned most of our dreams into reality,” he said, answering questions from journalists.
Shaikh Mohammad gave the example of the Dubai Metro project, which has been a resounding success.
Promoting commerce
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has issued two laws setting up the Dubai Duty Free Establishment and Dubai Events and Commerce Promotion Establishment, and a decree naming Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group as Chairman of Dubai Duty Free.
He also issued three decrees reshuffling the board of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the board of Dubai Aluminium Company (Dubal) and the Supreme Committee for Financial Policy in Dubai.
