Dubai PM merges Economy, Tourism Ministries under single dept to ensure govt efficiency

The Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has announced to combine the ministries of Economy and Tourism of Dubai under a single organisation known as 'Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. The decision has been taken to strengthen government operations in Dubai and to increase its effectiveness and resilience for keeping pace with the fast changes around the world, whilst guaranteeing commercial and tourist sectors' competitiveness in the nation. 

Mohammed bin Rashid has even taken the decision to appoint Helal Al Marri as Director-General of the newly established Department. Quoting Mohammed bin Rashid, ANI reported, “The newly formed Department seeks to support the economic and tourism transformations taking place in the emirate. It will adopt the same competitiveness and efficiency of the private sector and work together with it on various development projects.” 

Prime Minister went on to say that the economy of Dubai has gone through several stages of evolution over the years, contributing to the city's present position as a model for economic growth which has indeed made it a popular tourist destination. He further added that the nation's aspiration has risen in recent years, and the priorities have transformed. He believed that new methods of thinking are required to improve their competition with the world.   

The objectives to be fulfilled by the Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai

In order to further improve Dubai's top spot in tourism and the economy, Mohammed bin Rashid stated that the Department is in charge of achieving seven goals to build it the best city in the world to reside and work in. Growing the industrial sector's additional value by 150% over the next five years, extending export industries for local goods by 50%, and increasing the number of tourists visiting Dubai by 40% to 25 million by 2025 are among the few goals that the department has to fulfill. 

By the year 2025, the newly established Department is expected to make Dubai among the world's top five cities in terms of key economic metrics, drawing 100,000 enterprises in the upcoming three years and conducting 400 global economic events yearly. The new department will also be in charge of promoting private and family-owned enterprises to register on the Dubai Stock Market. 

The Department of Economy and Tourism would also aim to improve Dubai's efficiency by drawing international investment, expanding exports, assisting SMEs, and formulating new strategies for the city's new sectors of the economy. The new framework will further assist policymakers in creating policies and evaluating the economic sector's strategic performance and implementation. 

Furthermore, Mohammed bin Rashid said, “Our message to the Department's team is that Dubai today is different than yesterday. The future of Dubai will depend on your performance, ideas and efforts," ANI reported. The new structure will also aid in the simplification and reduction of procedures linked to the issuing of trade and tourist permits, further allowing for the most efficient use of human and financial resources. 

(Image: AP)