Sheikh Mohammed's interactive dialogue session with the public marks opening of The Government Summit

Covering practically every facet of government services and the strategic outlook of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed shared his views on a range of subjects including the importance of The Government Summit, the competitiveness of UAE and Dubai, the need to stay focused on being No 1, the pillars of the UAE Vision 2021 and the emphasis of the country on education, empowerment and Emiratisation.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed also shared unique insights into his life, highlighting the need to be positive, his passion for sports and poetry, his role models in life, all in response to questions raised by people from various walks of life, from children to government employees, members of the media and visitors to the UAE.

Passing relevant questions from the public to concerned ministers who were part of the audience, and recounting anecdotes from his life and his interaction with world leaders, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed also issued prompt directives, including an instruction to the Minister of Education to increase the number of teachers to be trained from 12,000 to 20,000, and promised a young student to visit her school on the first day of the next week.

Explaining the importance of hosting The Government Summit in Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that the event, attended by more than 2,500 delegates and over 100 international experts from over 30 countries, sheds light on the UAE's model in government services. He said that by sharing the UAE's experience as well as by learning from the best practices of other countries, the nation is reiterating its Vision 2021 to be among the world's most developed countries.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that the role of governments is to work towards ensuring the equality, justice and happiness of people. He reminded government officials that they are serving people, and are entrusted with the authority to help them, not control them. He said that the future of government will be service-intensive, much like the hospitality and aviation services offering support to the public 24x7. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that a one-stop shop for government services is the future.

In a response to a query, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that the hope of the UAE is for all Arab people to live in prosperity and security, explaining that the core focus of governments must be to ensure the personal dignity of people and investing on their welfare.

He said that Emiratization is the priority of the nation this year, and called upon the private sector, which has benefited from operating in the country, to support the nationalisation goals. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed added that education, empowerment and Emiratisation are the core strategies of the UAE's growth.

Highlighting the success of women empowerment in the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that 70% of the country's graduates are women, who also form 65% of the governmental workforce, with 30% in leadership positions. "Women are studious and are open to learning, and they have a bright future," he said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that it is important to take risks, as challenges are a fact of life. "You cannot stay idle simply because there are risks involved. Ever since I took a leadership role, I have encountered several challenges. But I never gave up and I never bowed to them."

Staying positive is important to accomplish goals, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, adding that he has achieved only 7 to 10% of his vision for the nation. On leadership, he said that while most leaders have inborn talent, it must also be continuously refined through education and practice. He said that the ideas he executes come from the people, explaining that the success of the UAE owes to the deep affection and love by the people for the country.

The Government Summit is the largest government gathering in the region and serves as a platform that brings high profile leaders, decision makers and specialists to discuss best practices in government services. Several country-specific best practice workshops are being held with representatives from Singapore, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Australia, and Brazil, among others, sharing their learning in efficient government services, e-governance, citizen-centric services, and innovation, among other topics.

The Summit also hosts several workshops and interactive dialogue sessions to enhance the quality of government services and provide a model for governmental concepts and practices in the region.