Continuous achievement heralds Mohammed’s 17th Accession Day
As the Dubai Ruler celebrates 17 years of dedication to the emirate and the country, here is a look back at the landmarks Dubai crossed in 2022 under his visionary leadership
The UAE will mark the 17th Accession Anniversary of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-president and Prime Minister of the UAE, as Ruler of Dubai on Wednesday.
Tributes were pouring in on the Dubai Ruler's 17th Accession Anniversary, praising his vision to put Dubai on the global map and strengthen the emirate's competitiveness among global cities.
Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai has vaulted from a regional to a global hub for trade, tourism, banking and finance, aviation and other key sectors.
In 2022, Dubai witnessed a number of new initiatives approved by Sheikh Mohammed as well as many projects reaching their completion that were approved by His Highness in previous years.
On numerous occasions, Sheikh Mohammed has dedicated his Accession Day anniversary to doing good. Last year, for example, he announced a Dh100 million project to search for 1,000 Arab pioneers in different fields.
Khaleej Times presents a list of initiatives that were approved and milestones that the UAE achieved under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed in 2022:
DECEMBER 12
Sheikh Mohammed approved the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which consists of several projects under ten key initiatives, including Enhancing Urban Centres, Dubai Real Estate Strategy, Urban Farming Plan, Preserving Urban Heritage Plan, Developing the 20-Minute City Policy, and the
Pedestrian Network Master Plan. His Highness also reviewed the progress of 17 projects and initiatives that were part of the initial phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
NOVEMBER 27
His Highness approved the Dubai Countryside and Rural Areas Development Master Plan, spanning an area of 2,216 square kilometres.
The plan seeks to preserve the nature of areas like Lehbab, Margham, Al Marmoom, Al Lisaili, Al Faqaa and Al Aweer, and provide a variety of services and amenities to residents and visitors to enhance their well-being.
NOVEMBER 11
The UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 was launched to strengthen the position of the UAE as one of the best destinations in the world for tourism. "We approved UAE'S Tourism Strategy 2031. The UAE ranks among the top 10 global tourist destinations. Our goal is to boost our competitiveness by attracting Dh100 billion as additional tourism investments and welcome 40 million hotel guests in 2031,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
OCTOBER 10
Chaired by Sheikh Mohammed, the UAE Cabinet approved the 2023-2026 budget with a total estimated expenditure of Dh252.3
billion and estimated revenues of Dh255.7 billion.
SEPTEMBER 1
His Highness directed urgent aid worth Dh50 million to provide relief to those affected by the floods in Pakistan.
JUNE 15
The Dubai Ruler directed the distribution of three million books across thousands of schools in the Arab world to promote reading.his Highness also inaugurated the Mohammed bin Rashid Library — a new cultural beacon in the region that is built with an investment of Dh1 billion to encourage a culture of reading.
MAY 22
New major restructuring of the education system in the UAE was announced. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, named as the Minister of Education, was directed to review all legislation and policies.
APRIL 27
His Highness announced the successful conclusion of the '1 Billion Meals' initiative as it achieved its goal of providing one billion meals to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in 50 countries.
APRIL 18
Chaired by Sheikh Mohammed, the UAE Cabinet approved federal law on entry and residences of foreigners including the Golden Visa, Green Visa, 5-year multi-entry Tourist Visa, Job Exploration Visa, and Business Entry Visa.
MARCH 17
The UAE Vice President ordered two emergency humanitarian relief flights to support civilians fleeing the war between Ukraine and Russia.
FEBRUARY 22
The Museum of the Future was inaugurated by His Highness this month.
“It embodies the active human imagination and the Emiratis [that] will that continues to excel in the world,” Sheikh Mohammed said about the 77-metre-tall iconic architectural marvel.
JANUARY 13
The iconic Infinity Bridge was opened by the Dubai Ruler in mid-january. “It is a new global engineering, artistic and architectural masterpiece. Our bridges go towards the future and our ambitions are endless,” he said.