Mohammed bin Rashid launches 'Fifty-Year Charter' to improve life in Dubai

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the 'Fifty-Year Charter' which promises to improve all aspects of life in Dubai in 2019.

"This is a charter that represents our pledge and promise towards enhancing the life of people in Dubai in 2019. A new charter shall be launched on Jan 4 every year," said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed The pledge comes a day after Sheikh Mohammed shared his eight defining principles of governance for Dubai.

Below is the full text of the charter: "The Fifty-Year Charter "In the Name of Allah, and praise be to Him! From Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to the people of Dubai and its residents is a document that represents our pledge and promise, on behalf of myself and the ruling family of Dubai, of what we will undertake to improve the quality of life, develop the community of Dubai, and ensure the future of generations to come.

It is an annual document that I have named 'The Fifty-Year Charter' to mark my 50th anniversary of assuming my first official post in serving my country, and in the hope of another 50 years during which we will maintain a city governed by law and bound by the spirit of compassion, love harmony and tolerance.

A prosperous city where future generations achieve their dreams and aspirations.

On January 4, 2019, I declare my commitment, as well as the commitment of the ruling family of Dubai, and the commitment of our government and all our teams to the vision presented in this document.

We have divided this document into nine articles in order to facilitate its implementation, follow-up, and accountability.

This document does not replace the government's strategies, but it is a document that includes some aspects of our vision for the future city of Dubai and the life we wish to maintain for everyone living in this community.

We will release The Fifty-Year Charter on January 4 each year to announce exceptional projects in Dubai.

Our guidance to everyone is to act in accordance with this charter, and in accordance with the Eight Principles of Dubai document, which we have launched, to ensure continued prosperity.

The following are the nine articles, which I will personally observe, and will be overseen by the H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

Article 1: Dubai Silk Road Dubai is destined to be a crossroad between East and West, and between North and South.

We have the largest international airport in the world. It connects us with more than 200 cities.

Over the next 10 years, more than one billion passengers will pass through our airports.

Worldwide, we operate around 80 ports that are connected to hundreds of cities.

Our next goal is to build our own Silk Road in cooperation with our friendly neighbours who share our vision.

Our region has historically been a region of civilisation and trade, and this role must be restored. We will seek to build international cooperation to support these aspirations.

Article 2: A Geo-Economic Map for Dubai In the coming phase, we will work to develop a geo-economic map for the city of Dubai and set up specialised, integrated economic zones in the whole city.

Each geo-economic sector in the city will have its own council, which manages and markets it.

Each geographical sector will have its own economic and investment goals.

We will monitor the achievement of these goals with transparency.

A Governor will be appointed for each economic zone to oversee the achievement of its goals, as well as its progress and success.

Article 3: First Virtual Commercial City Dubai will lead the establishment of the rst virtual commercial city in the region that grants commercial licenses without having to reside in Dubai. e city will allow investors to open bank accounts and grant e-residencies according to best international laws and regulations. We aim to have 100,000 companies in the virtual city.

Article 4: A Central Education File for Every Citizen We aim to develop a centralised education database for every citizen to document all the academic degrees obtained, classes and training taken, and conferences attended.

This will help us design customised educational plans for our citizens that suit their personal skills.

We aim to build an educational and learning system that explores and develops people's skills.

Our goal for our citizens is to have life-long learning so they can continue to improve their skills and capacities to adapt to the rapid global changes in the world.

Article 5: A Doctor to Every Citizen We aim to provide citizens with medical consultations 247/ through hundreds of thousands of doctors, specialists and medical consultants across the globe.

This will be facilitated by smart government application.

Our goal is to transform the medical system to bring doctors closer to individuals, enhance awareness, and utilize top medical minds globally to serve the health of our citizens.

Article 6: Free Economic and Creative Zones in Universities Dubai's foundation is rooted in trade.

We will announce our public and private universities as free zones that allow students to carry out business and creative activities, make these activities part of the education and graduation system, and shape integrated economic and creative zones around the universities.

These zones will support students with education, research and funding during the launch of their projects.

We want our universities to not only graduate students but also create companies and employers.

Article 7: Self-sufficiency in Dubai Homes We will develop an integrated program to build a comprehensive system that allows at least a tenth of our citizens' homes to be self-sufficient in terms of water, food and energy.

The achievement of this goal will help change lifestyles and contribute to the preservation of our environment.

We aim to create a new economic sector that supports energy, water and food self-sufficiency in the houses of Dubai, for at least a month, to be increased later.

Article 8: Cooperative Companies in Various Sectors This is a long-term programme that aims to provide new sources of income to our citizens, improve the quality of some services through privatization, and establishes cooperative companies owned by citizens in a number of vital sectors.

Article 9: Annual Growth in Philanthropy Our daily businesses and projects should not let us forget about giving to those who need help.

We pledge to increase philanthropic initiatives every year and grow them by at least an equal percentage of our annual economic growth.

Charity is indeed a major factor in the happiness of societies and the continuity of progress and prosperity.

These are some highlights of our future vision reflected in a number of practical programs that can be implemented and measured. A new Charter shall be launched in January 4, every year to sustain the welfare and happiness of our society."

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