UAE ranked the first Arab Country, 30th globally in the Human Development Index

Abu Dhabi, Jan 9, 2012 (WAM) - The UAE has been ranked the thirtieth among 187 countries, according to the index of human development world report 2011 released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Under the auspices of H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, UNDP, in collaboration with Emirates Council for Competitiveness, has organised a ceremony at UAE Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, in Abu Dhabi, to launch the human development report 2011. The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Al Shehhi, Undersecretary of Minister of Economy, Alisar Sarrouh, UNDP Coordinator, Mohammed Omar Abdulla, Undersecretary of the Economic Development Department, Abdullah Lootah, Secretary General of UAE Council for competitiveness as well as a number of high Government officials. Norway, Australia, Netherlands, USA, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Sweden came in the first ten places in the index of human development world report 2011. UAE came in the thirtieth place among 187 countries. In her keynote speech, Sarrouh welcomed all participants. She said that UNDP Human Development Report 2011 is a continuation for the past years reports. However, the current one has focused on sustainable development and human equality; the two points that reflect the interest of the governments all over the world for achieving the highest rates of sustainable development according to equitable rights and responsibilities. In his speech, Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansoori, Minister of Economy, said that this exceptional ceremony confirmed the international place of the UAE place HD, assuring the continues progress in the state and achievements in HD conference report. He cited that it has been ranked in 33rd after it was in 32 in 2010. The UAE wise leadership adopted an ambitious vision established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, God bless his soul, who said, "human is the base of any civilisation." The minister confirmed the resolve of the wise leadership to use the oil resources revenues to activate the HD and total development and focus on developing the state's infrastructure of schools, hospitals , ports and airports. He referred to the state's care for education, considering it as gate to innovation and preparation of generations to achieve the development goals. The governmental and private schools are now 1400. They were 74 schools in 1971. Regarding the Higher Education, there was one University; UAE University in Al Ain. There are more than 50 higher educational institutions, among them well known international Universities. In Health services, the minister said that UAE provides good healthcare services that cover all the populated areas. There are 40 hospitals and more than 115 medical care centres. Emirati women also became an essential partner in society development. Economically, GDP increased from 6.5b dirhams in 1971 to more than one trillion dirhams in 2010, raising the per capita income to 132, 000 Dirhams. The industrial sector has greatly improved and contributed 16.4 per cent in 2010. He expressed hope of the UAE would build competitive knowledge economy according to 2021 vision. Al Mansouri thanked UNDP, Emirates Competitiveness Council, Economic Development of AD and Emirates Centre for Strategic Research and Studies for efforts in organising this event. Mohammed Omar Abdullah, the undersecretary of Department of Economic Development, Abu-Dhabi, said that such occasion which has become an annual global event for various governments, organisations, authorities and institutions. He added that this year's report, under the title of Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All, asserts the close link between sustainability and social fairness and clarifies that human development cannot be realised without realising the principle of sustainability; based on fairness and empowerment. The report takes all sides accountable jointly towards deprived categories all over the world, either now or in the future. He said that UAE has early realised the importance of providing equitable opportunities for all citizens, giving them the same rights and responsibility sharing; as this has great impact on sustainable development and on building a prosperous future for the coming generation. "That was the basis of our wise leadership's vision which was built on principles of sustainability and empowerment for community individuals. These are the same principles that mainly constitute the main themes of Emirates Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030," said Abdullah. He made it clear that such a vision accurately defines the needs and capabilities, clear planning for ambitions and objectives and a full realisation for the regional and international changes, bearing in mind all conditions and local peculiarities. Abdullah said that the early realisation and well planning by the wise leadership in UAE have contributed to upgrading the level of the state in the performance and competitiveness classification index and set it as an object for lauding from various international authorities on top of which is UNDP. He added that UAE has become 30th place in the world Human Development Index rankings for 2011, thus achieving two grades above that of 2010 and becoming the first Arab country for the second consecutive year. The state also got two grades higher in the gender streaming index issued by the World Economic Forum for 2011, as the highest Arab country. He said that the UAE achievements are normal outcome of the efforts and attitude of the wise leadership represented in H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and his brother H. H. sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and General H. H. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and their keenness for empowering all community categories. He added that UAE, through its wise policies, gave priority for consolidating the principle of people's participation, activating the relationship between citizens and authorities. Within this context, he referred to the extent the state witnessed in looking after the special needy to let them become active and contributing to the overall development. In addition to that, the state has executed a wide network of services and programmes that serve the citizens and the expats, covering different domains of healthcare, education and qualification. The undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Economic Development Department, said that the efforts exerted by the wise leadership are not restricted to human development locally but have extended to the outside. The state has prompted to give support to various friendly peoples throughout capitalising human, development activities as well as educational and healthcare projects. He said that the aid given by the state through its institutions such as Abu Dhabi Development Fund, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Humanitarian Association and UAE Red Crescent Society, has become an important tool in achieving development, either totally or sustainably in several countries. Add to that the world development and humanitarian initiatives and projects conducted by the government in coordination with the concerned UN agencies and other world partners. He added that four decades after the establishment of UAE, the recognition of human value as pivotal for total development has vigorously contributed to the march of the state till it has become admirable for the whole world nowadays more than ever before. The undersecretary of Economic Development Department of Abu Dhabi expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the sincere leaders and the locals who persevered to get the state to such advanced levels which are the fruit of the deeds of the founder late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who set the example and followed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Rebecca Grynspan, Associate Administrator of the UNDP said it is a great opportunity to launch the report in Abu Dhabi for the second consecutive year because of the high place UAE achieved in the report as it is the first among Arab countries She added that the report looks at various challenges facing development in the world specially how to meet the basic needs of the peoples. She added that the report comes at a time when the world leaders are preparing for meeting in Rio De Janero to discuss sustainability and equity as elements of world development. She said the world development report set a message regarding the environmental side that necessitates certain steps to environmental catastrophes and to avoid further degradation. Amatul Aleem Sowsawa, UN General Secretary Assistant for UNDP in the Arab region said: "We are glad for launching Human Development Report 2011 for the second consecutive year in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. It is an opportunity to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing human development in the Arab region and to highlight the UAE admirable march of human development in the recent years at the time of celebrating 40 anniversary of its establishment. Al Sawsawa asserted that although UAE has achieved the highest per capita income all over the world, it has also achieved unprecedented leaps in human development particularly healthcare and education by virtue of its successful strategies and vision of investing its income in these two fields. She said that in the healthcare field, UAE has invested vigorously and wisely along the past 40 years. The average life expectancy for individuals increased from above 14 to 76 years. In education, UAE has achieved clear progress gradually along the past 30 years as UAE child is enjoying a high level of education for 13 years. She added that along the past five years, UAE could climb 19 grades in the human development index which means that UAE citizens are enjoying the highest ever standard of living; more rapidly than other several countries. Amatul Aleem Alsawsawa said that it is important to refer to the tremendous efforts exerted by the UAE government to diversify its national economy over the past decades by means of capital investments in new sectors in order to extend its economy boundaries and creating jobs for its steadily increasing population. She gave a notice that the most prominent investments that availed UAE to occupy advanced levels in human development were in healthcare and pharmaceuticals and other sectors like aviation, transport, trade, tourism, media, telecommunication as well as culture and education. Regarding human development report 2011, she made it clear that it has focused this year on sustainability in human development trying to answer: How can we secure human development both today and tomorrow? Referring to the data mentioned in the report which indicate the increasing wide environmental degradation all over the world. Thus; if a part in the world has become richer it will in turn witness a deterioration in such environmental main indicators, carbon dioxide emissions, soil and water quality and other environmental indicators. Alsawsawa said in this respect that in the Arab region a number of challenges are faced regarding sustainability because the region is the most arid area in the world, thus, badly impacting development in several domains including healthcare, agriculture, food security and urbanisation. She called for using scientific creative techniques according to well considered integrated strategies. She added that it is important for the Arab countries such as UAE to continue their investment in technology that is necessary for water security in order to secure more fresh renewable water reservoir which are really very low. Al Sawsawa said that the report sets another challenge related to poverty levels in the world, which requires from the countries including the Arab countries to boost the poor and local communities through efforts aiming at lowering its levels. Several countries succeeded in that by means of achieving the highest levels of human development by focusing on the data indicating the existence of poverty enclaves within their boundaries that should be eliminated. She lauded the distinguished record of UAE of human development, especially over the 40 years that followed its establishment as a federal state. She called upon all to think deeply of the challenges reflected in the report, because of their great importance not only for countries that still strive for human development but also for those that accomplished much progress in this regard. Abdullah Lootah, Secretary General of Emirates Competitiveness Council, said that UAE has become pioneering in human development as it has been on top of Arab countries in the World Human Development Report 2011 for the second consecutive year, and the 30th among 187 countries globally. Lootah said it is by virtue of successful policies followed by the leadership and the government, UAE achieved such a prominent place in human development. UAE strategies were and still built on developing the human capital focusing on accomplishing the highest rates of improvement and growth in education, healthcare and quality of life coping with its 2021 strategy that aim at achieving sustainable development in all domains. He mentioned that UAE dedicated 46 per cent of its 2011 budget to spend on education, healthcare and community, as the government offers compulsory free education and support the citizens through several options in the field of higher education. He added that education system in UAE copes with the commitments towards human development standards. In both primary and secondary education phases, the country moved from 74 schools with 32800 students in 1971 to more than 1000 schools with 800000 students today. In higher education, there are 76 higher education institutions across the country. Also UAE hosts some world pioneering institutions in higher education such as Sorbonne University, INSIAD, London School of Business, New York University and others. In healthcare, he said that Ministry of Health and healthcare authorities in UAE established pioneering healthcare networks in relation to facilities, skills and quality. Government hospitals are more than 90 and primary healthcare centres and maternity care centres are 246 across the country as well as a number of private medical centres. Thus UAE has become a medical care destination in the region. For example the joint successful project between the government of Abu Dhabi and Imperial college for establishing Imperial college for diabetes in UAE. He added that UAE is still determined to take important steps to face the current challenges specially renewable energy needs in the future by injecting tremendous investments to improve renewable and alternative energy sources including wind and solar energies and other non-traditional sources in order to reduce dependency on oil as a sole source of energy. He said that H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, has clearly delineated the future vision for UAE, as said: "We are still going forward in developing our human resources, building the skills and capabilities, as we believe that human being is the purpose. We will continue also to encourage the qualified local professionals in order to let them occupy their normal place in leading the current surge to ensure a promising and shining future". He mentioned that the 2011-2013 UAE strategy defined seven main priorities: coherent society, preserve the identity, first class educational system, providing healthcare for all, knowledge based competitive economy, ensuring fair judiciary, sustainable environment and infrastructure. He added : "UAE has accomplished a remarkable economic progress. It has become the second biggest GCC economy, as its GDP grew from 6.5 b. Dirhams in 1971 to 1248 b. Dirhams currently as of real value. While the economy has witnessed 4 per cent growth in 2011. Concluding his address, Lootah thanked UNDP, asserting that UAE is keen to endear the continual cooperation with UNDP, governments, international organisations, academia and individuals to realise the hopes of the peoples in the world of achieving the highest rates of human development. - Emirates News Agency, WAM