Purchase OBG Publications

Climate change, dwindling natural resources, pressure on ecosystems from urban expansion, pollution and waste management are all global challenges that are having an impact in Abu Dhabi, whose delicate environment is characterised by extremes of temperature and landscape. Over the last few decades, extraordinary economic and population growth has increased the pressure on this ecosphere, which has long been of concern for the emirate’s rulers. Protecting the environment has been woven into the fabric of Abu Dhabi’s development plans. Sustainability and optimal use of resources are seen as vital to the future well-being of its citizens and the ecosphere. Authorities have crafted a host of programmes and agencies to further the sustainability agenda, while efforts to promote the environment have become pillars of emirate policy. All of this has profound implications for the emirate’s future, and affords lessons for the region and the world. This chapter contains an interview with Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.

These are dynamic times for the emirate’s tourism and culture sectors, as Abu Dhabi’s traditional portfolio of business travel and luxury vacations widens to include a whole new range of offerings. Sports, arts and entertainment are all now arriving centre stage for the emirate, as Abu Dhabi also makes its mark on the international cruise industry, while boosting its hotel collection and global interconnectivity. Tourism and culture have been privileged with key positions in the emirate’s long-term development plans, being seen as ways to boost diversification in the economy and establish new jobs and investment opportunities. These developments are rolling out at a time of increased regional and international economic and political uncertainty. Local authorities are striving to carve out a readily identifiable niche in an increasingly crowded regional market. However, with a firm strategy already in place, the signs are that Abu Dhabi is making a strong impression in both the global travel industry and the international creative and cultural sector. This chapter contains interviews with Noura Al Kaabi, Chairwoman, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company; and Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

Helped in part by some significant examples of international investment, the health care sector in Abu Dhabi has made huge strides over the last four decades. Based on these foundations, the agencies responsible for planning future provision in the emirate are currently focused on improving, reshaping and expanding the services offered to its residents and citizens, and balancing the resources provided by both the public and private sectors. In 2015, 52% of all inpatient care and 31% of outpatient cases were dealt with in government-owned hospitals, while the remaining care was provided by the private sector, which has seen its role increase since 2011, when government hospitals handled 65% of all inpatients and 40% of outpatients. Health officials in Abu Dhabi are anticipating significant private sector investment, as 10 new hospitals are currently under construction in the emirate alone. This chapter contains an interview with Professor Maha Barakat, Director-General, Health Authority - Abu Dhabi.

With the UAE’s 2021 Golden Jubilee celebrations just four years away, the education sector in Abu Dhabi is closing in on achievement targets that will be used as key performance indicators of national transformation. Launched in 2010, the UAE’s Vision 2021 set a challenge to create a competitive knowledge economy and a first-rate education system that is ranked among the best in the world by international indices. While these targets may serve as useful reference points for educators, those administering the education sector in Abu Dhabi also have broader aspirations to ensure that the emirate’s growing numbers of classrooms, lecture theatres and laboratories nurture the skills, aptitudes and attitudes that today’s pupils and students will need in tomorrow’s world. This chapter contains an interview with Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education.

The region of Al Dhafra encompasses approximately 35,250 sq km and accounts for 60% of the total landmass of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The region is bound by a 350-km northern coastline and lies between Saudi Arabia to the west and south, Al Ain to the east and the Abu Dhabi region in the north-east. Al Dhafra is mostly desert and lies on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), the world’s largest uninterrupted mass of sand. As a result, Al Dhafra, despite being the largest of Abu Dhabi’s regions, is the most sparsely populated. Al Dhafra’s economy is underpinned by its hydrocarbons industry; the region is home to around 90% of Abu Dhabi’s total oil reserves. This chapter contains an interview with Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region.

Encompassing everything from petrochemicals to food processing and aerospace to automotive parts, Abu Dhabi’s industrial sector has branched out significantly in recent years. Guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and its 2016 update, the Abu Dhabi Plan, along with its own sector-specific development strategy, industry is now at a key turning point, as it begins to implement the next stage of its development. The year 2017 will see the public unveiling of a new 2016-20 plan for industry, which promises to increase the focus on private-sector development, furthering the integration of the major corporations of Abu Dhabi’s industrial world with the raft of micro-, small and medium- sized enterprises that form the backbone of manufacturing – and employment – in the emirate. This chapter contains an interview with Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, CEO, Emirates Steel.