Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of myself and the members of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, I would like to welcome you to the official website of the Emirates Competitiveness Council. We want this website to act as the reference point and channel of interactive communication with all our strategic partners and stakeholders.

Competition is probably one of the most ancient and most important concepts in human history. Civilizations, and throughout history, have competed with the primary aim of achieving the highest level of quality of life and welfare for their societies. In reflecting on the history of the UAE, we find that UAE society is no exception in this strive for competitiveness. Despite intensely scarce resources, the people of the UAE have set a remarkable example of maximizing their potential—starting with trade, sea transport, and pearl diving—to  create the high income and well diversified economy we have today.

Since the establishment of the federation by our visionary leaders, this land has witnessed an extraordinary transformation from a once arid desert to a robust economic oasis. It has become an international financial hub and a main tourist destination, bridging the divide between the East and the West. We have also seen how the leadership of this nation has invested in developing the national human capital through upgrading education, health, housing, and career opportunities, in an effort to achieve the main goal of competitiveness, namely higher standards of living and prosperity for the UAE society.

Today, H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, have the same determination as the founding fathers of the UAE. They aim to position the UAE at the forefront of global competitiveness, and have established the Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC) towards achieving that goal.

The council will integrate government’s efforts at the federal and local levels with that of the private sector, in order to establish the UAE as the destination of choice for doing business. The UAE is envisioned to combine the advanced infrastructure, whether legislative or technological, with innovative human resources and knowledge capital, in an environment that achieves the highest standards of quality of life.

So far, the UAE has been a pioneer in numerous fields. It stands proud of the accomplishments it has achieved through the constant and earnest efforts of the federal and local governments as well as private entities. Such efforts have resulted in a dynamic and well diversified economy that works towards attracting foreign investments and global talent, maintaining a world-class infrastructure in roads, airports, ports, and utilizing the latest technological advancements. The goal of the council is to strengthen the nation’s competitiveness edge in all of these fields as well as future emerging fields.

The ECC will adopt the government’s vision of placing the citizens of the UAE at the heart of development. The aim is to build their capacities and enable them to seize opportunities. This will be accomplished by adopting world-leading systems of education, health, as well as developing the regulatory legal frameworks, to achieve a prosperous life and welfare for citizens and residents of the UAE.

Finally, we hope that this website serves as a vehicle for us to communicate with you and exchange information and expertise in order to build a better future, driven by our constant strive towards strengthening our global competitiveness.