On this day, December 2, 1971, the establishment of the United Arab Emirates was officially announced, the Union Flag was raised high, and the founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah bless his soul, was elected the first President of the UAE and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may Allah bless his soul, was elected Vice President.
Today we celebrate our collective journey towards a better tomorrow, to honor today’s innovators and inspire tomorrow’s dreamers, embracing the concepts of sustainability and teamwork, carrying the spirit of connection, work and achievement that forms the foundation of our progress.
The UAE believes in the importance of international cooperation, and always seeks to build strategic partnerships that benefit everyone. Today, we renew our commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with sisterly and friendly countries and supporting international efforts to achieve peace, stability, and sustainable development and prosperity for all peoples of the world.
Over the past years, the UAE’s efforts have been a decisive factor in adopting many historic international resolutions and draft resolutions which positively impacts extends to include all peoples of the world with their various religious, ethnic and cultural affiliations.
Vision of the Future:
“We the Emirates 2031” represents a new vision and national action plan through which the UAE will continue its development journey for the next decade, focusing on social, economic, investment and development aspects. Through this vision, the UAE aims to be a global center for sustainable development and innovation, and an effective contributor to international efforts to address modern challenges such as climate change and enhancing food security.
UAE Achievements:
The UAE has accomplished remarkable achievements at the local, regional and international levels, from strengthening the national economy and diversifying its sources to achieving a leading position in vital sectors such as technology, space, clean energy and culture.
At the international level it achieved the full membership in the BRICS group, succeeded in fifth participation in the G20 and joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a sectoral dialogue partner, successfully getting off from the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) within two years, in addition to completing a 59-item action plan.
The National Investment Strategy 2031, aims to double cumulative foreign direct investment between 2025 and 2031 to about 30% of the volume of investments in the UAE, which currently stands at 15%, and reach AED 1.3 trillion, to support achieving the desired economic growth. It also aims to increase the cumulative foreign direct investment balance threefold to reach AED 2.2 trillion in 2031.
The UAE stresses in all forums, especially during UN Security Council meetings, the need to prioritize economic prosperity and people-to-people relations, support pluralism and partnerships, and enhance international cooperation, as the UAE works to build a knowledge-based and diversified economy enhanced by scientific and technological progress.
The UAE believes that the future of regional security depends on strong multilateral partnerships and a shared commitment to achieving stability and prosperity through peaceful political and economic means, and to support this approach, the UAE has concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with strategic partners as part of a long-term strategy in its journey towards economic diversification and developing strong international partnerships through trade, industry and investment, til date, 11 agreements have been concluded, 6 of which have entered into force, and negotiations on 8 have been completed. These agreements are one of the ways to accelerate and enhance trade between countries and increase the ease of doing business across the region, and in other markets such as Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Sustainability and Climate Diplomacy:
The extension of the “Year of Sustainability” in the UAE to include 2024 confirms UAE’s commitment to achieving sustainable development and the importance of adopting sustainable lifestyles to preserve our environmental heritage for future generations, in this regard, the UAE has achieved significant achievements in the field of sustainability, advancing to 18th place globally in the “Investment in Green Energy and Clean Technology” index.
The UAE launched the “Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative” to address the urgent global challenge of water scarcity and to accelerate the development of innovative technological solutions to address it.
The UAE continued its efforts in climate action through key partnerships and agreements aimed at achieving global sustainability goals, with a focus on the outcomes of COP28, most notably the historic “UAE Agreement” between 198 parties, which paved the way for a new phase of climate action, by raising and stimulating more than $85 billion in financing and launching 11 pledges and declarations that contribute to an ambitious climate action plan to preserve the possibility of avoiding the rise in global temperature exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.
During the COP29 conference in Baku, the UAE sought to provide an experience that highlights its strategies to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the efficiency of the use of natural resources, with the aim to build a climate-resilient economy, which is an essential part of the UAE’s strategic vision for climate neutrality by 2050.
On bilateral level, a number of agreements and MoUs were signed between our two friendly countries, this year, to enhance cooperation in various fields of investment, infrastructure and innovations.
These achievements embody the vision of the UAE and its wise leadership towards building a globally leading country that combines innovation, tolerance, and sustainability to serve humanity.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed to strengthening relations between the UAE and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and we look forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation in the coming years.
Long live UAE and Pakistan
