Al Gharbia thanks the President and Crown Prince

During the three day tour, the President and the Crown Prince visited cities across the region and took note of the concerns and requirements of the citizens residing in Al Gharbia.

Thanking the President, Mohamed Hamad Bin Azzan Al Mazrouei, Director General, WRDC said:

'The support of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in helping us to shape the future of Al Gharbia to ensure it becomes a better place to live, work and visit.'

'His determination and dedication helps us all to work towards his vision for the region and provide Al Gharbia's people with a higher quality of life through greater employment opportunities, better infrastructure and more investment. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Western Region Development Council and the people of Al Gharbia to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of our emirate,' concluded Mr. Al Mazrouei.

WRDC is working closely with the relevant government entities, including the Western Region Municipality, the Healthcare Authority and the Abu Dhabi Education Council to ensure that initiatives directed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa and the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and those outlined in the Policy Agenda 2007-08 set by Abu Dhabi Government are integrated into the future action plan for Al Gharbia.

WRDC with support from the Khalifa Fund have already initiated a SME training programme to encourage the emerging business community in Al Gharbia. SME entrepreneurship awareness roadshows were organized in April and May this year and drew high participant numbers. With over 255 residents in attendance, the programme also brought to light the high percentage of female residents interested in starting up their own businesses; and wanting to contribute significantly to their communities and families.

In accordance with vision of His Highness to develop and enhance the youth of Al Gharbia and provide them with great career opportunities, a plethora of projects are already in the pipeline that will create employment opportunities for the residents and will eventually reduce the migration of the residents to other parts of the emirate or the UAE for employment opportunities.

Inline with the vision of the government and with people at the focal point, WRDC's key development areas include social development, infrastructure (i.e. employment, better education, healthcare), leisure and tourism, utilities, transportation and communication to facilitate better connectivity between the cities in the region, the Emirate, the country, and the development of Al Gharbia as a whole.