Sheikh Mohammed launches strategic Dubai Plan 2021
New phase in sustainable and systematic developments in all vital sectors
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Dubai Plan 2021. The plan will be the “beginning of a new phase of sustainable and systematic developments in all vital sectors in the emirate of Dubai”, WAM, the state news agency, reported.
The framework of the plan includes six themes that will define and describe Dubai in 2021: City of Happy, Creative & Empowered People; an Inclusive & Cohesive Society; The Preferred Place to Live, Work & Visit; a Smart & Sustainable City; a Pivotal hub in the Global Economy; and a Pioneering & Excellent Government.
Drafted through a series of workshops, data collection and comparisons to benchmark cities, the Dubai Plan 2021 has been launched as a framework for the continued development of the city.
The team behind the Plan researched theoretical models for the development of cities. They also examined various benchmark cities that relate to Dubai geographically, economically and socially. These included Singapore, London, new York, Helsinki, Barcelona, Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur.
Government of Dubai entities were engaged through workshops at the beginning of 2014, which allowed the team to arrive at a strategic framework and related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These will be used to assess and understand Dubai’s current standing, the team said. In addition, it will measure its progress in achieving targets and goals. The Dubai Plan 2021 framework and KPIs were subsequently endorsed by the Sector Committees, and approved by the executive Council in May 2014.
The next phase saw the collection of data and information in collaboration with all Dubai Government entities and the Dubai Statistics Centre. This allowed the team to prepare a comprehensive situation analysis that will assess dubai’s current performance and key gaps.
Furthermore, university students participated in a workshop entitled ‘Dubai… the Future’, which brought forth a number of ideas reflecting the younger generation’s priorities and aspirations. These ideas were key inputs for the development of various elements of the Plan.
In addition, a digital brainstorm session was conducted through the Plan’s social media platforms. This engaged a cross-section of the city’s society and garnered the input of the global community.
Finally, a series of workshops with local and global experts in various fields were conducted to identify global mega-trends and their potential impact on the region and dubai itself. These were followed by the Dubai Plan 2021 Creative Labs, which involved leaders and experts from government, the private sector and civil society.
