Shura Council welcomes outcomes of Kuwaiti Amir’s visit, appraises 3rd National Development Strategy
SHURA Council Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim on Monday welcomed, on his behalf and on behalf of the Council’s members, the results of the State visit of Amir of Kuwait HH Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah to Qatar, stressing that the discussions held by the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Amir of Kuwait will contribute to deepening the bonds of brotherhood and joint cooperation between the two sides.
During the Council’s weekly meeting on Monday, the Council appreciated the keenness of HH the Amir and the Kuwaiti Amir to support the distinguished relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples, in a way that contributes to supporting and strengthening joint Gulf action, noting that the great popular welcome for the visit reflects the strength of the deep-rooted historical relationship between the two sides.
The Council also welcomed the country’s hosting of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 that brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, technology sector leaders and experts from all over the world to discuss the latest developments in technology and innovation.
The Council praised the country’s keenness to host such events, which contribute to launching many new initiatives aimed at developing the business environment in the technology sector in the country and opening new horizons to attract international companies wishing to expand in this sector, while hailing the participation of 100 local startup companies in the summit.
The Council expressed its disappointment that the UN Security Council failed to issue a resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the credibility of international law is at stake and is facing a test that depends on the Security Council’s position regarding the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories.
The Council also expressed deep regret at the failure of the international system to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip, denouncing the double standards in dealing with the tragic situation in the Strip, and warning of the consequences of its continuation on security and stability in the region and the world.
After reading the items of agenda and assenting to the minute of the previous meeting, the Shura speaker and the members welcomed Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi and Assistant to the President of the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi to apprise the Council of the prominent strategic priorities and the national outcomes of the third National Development which is considered the final phase towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Council lauded the efforts being made by the government, alongside other state authorities to enforce the national development strategies and achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030, based on the directives of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The speaker of the Shura Council commended the top priority the wise leadership gives to planning to achieve stability and development and live up to its obligations towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, underscoring the outstanding position of Qatar at the regional and global levels.
The minister and the assistant to the president of the PSA discussed the core priorities of the third National Development Strategy, its objectives and goals, methodology and mechanisms for its implementation and interim evaluation, as well as the expected results to ensure the achievement of the Qatar National Vision 2030 goals, in addition to figuring out the nature of challenges that faced the implementation of the first and second national development strategies, along with the efforts made to address them and the lessons learned.
The Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs highlighted the legislative system prepared by the Council of Ministers General Secretariat in coordination with a number of ministries to implement the third National Development Strategy, indicating that it is divided into major themes and outcomes of the plan, mainly the themes of economic development, financial sustainability, manpower and community cohesion.
The presentation before the Council included the core underpinnings of the Qatar National Vision 2030, the three national development strategies, the most consequential phases of the implementation of the first and second national development strategies, as well as the most prominent objectives of the third National Development Strategy.
The presentation highlighted that the third National Development Strategy is based on seven strategic outcomes, namely the sustainable economic growth, financial sustainability, future-ready manpower, cohesive community, high-quality living, environmental sustainability, and outstanding government institutions.
The strategy primarily seeks to build a sustainable economic model through expansion in gas production, boosting the growth of non-oil sectors, increasing manpower productivity by two percent annually, creating and developing highly skilled jobs, in addition to reinforcing competitiveness and innovation and supporting corporate excellence to accelerate the transition to a knowledge-based economy to achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The presentation underscored the interest of the strategy in helping the private sector lend the impetus to economic growth, upgrade business environment and encourage effective engagement of national companies in the critical fields. The financial sustainability the third National Development Strategy intends to achieve is meant for bolstering the stability, safety, and flexibility of the public budget in the long term, by setting a framework of medium-term public budgets that are more sustainable and capable of resisting changes.