His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, may God protect him, in his capacity as Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, issued Law No. (26) of 2023 regarding the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, including the objectives of the Council, foremost of which is translating the vision of the wise leadership into Creating a prosperous Emirati society by meeting the needs of citizens and providing them with a decent life, enhancing and ensuring their participation in various strategic sectors, ensuring the sustainability and well-being of society, and contributing to maintaining the security and stability of citizens and residents as well as visitors to the emirate.
The council’s objectives, in accordance with the new law, also included enhancing Dubai’s position among the world’s leading cities, raising its position in global competitiveness indicators in various fields, enhancing the emirate’s economic progress, maintaining its sustainable growth, and creating a supportive environment for that, in addition to enhancing Dubai’s readiness to adapt to developments. future, and increase its ability to face challenges and changes in various fields.
Council powers
The law specifies the powers of the Executive Council, the most important of which is assisting His Highness the Ruler of the Emirate in managing the strategic affairs within which the Council is concerned, including approving the general policies of the Emirate of Dubai in various strategic fields, determining the Emirate’s priorities and future directions, supervising its implementation, and approving the Dubai Strategic Plan and submitting it to the Ruler. To approve it, and work to align the plans of sectors and government agencies with the Dubai Strategic Plan to ensure their optimal implementation.
The council’s powers also include approving strategic plans, policies, initiatives and projects that will support the emirate’s higher directions and policies in all sectors, setting an annual agenda in this regard and following up on its implementation periodically, as well as approving the government’s general financial policy, supervising its implementation, and approving proposals and recommendations related to the implementation of policies and plans. Initiatives and projects that support the higher directions and policies of the Emirate of Dubai, including directives to study the issuance of federal and local legislation that have a strategic impact on the emirate.
In addition, the powers of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai include ensuring the development and improvement of the government’s overall performance and raising performance levels in various sectors, following up on global competitiveness indicators related to the emirate, developing the necessary plans and programs to enhance the emirate’s position globally, and ensuring the application of modern management concepts in the government, through Managing programs that aim to achieve and enhance excellence, leadership and innovation in government performance, and honor pioneering achievements in accordance with the best international standards, models and practices applied in this regard. Also, adopting programs aimed at enhancing leadership and development of government services, improving their level and raising their efficiency and quality, in accordance with the best global models and practices applied in that matter.
The Council is also responsible for monitoring the performance of projects and initiatives adopted by the Dubai Government in various fields, directing government agencies to take the necessary measures to raise the efficiency and effectiveness of public money management, applying appropriate solutions to enhance it, and determining the aspects of spending on initiatives and projects from the approved general budget of the Dubai Government, in accordance with the priorities of the Dubai Government. The emirate and its approved plans, initiatives and projects, and adopting robust and transparent governance frameworks, based on performance, accountability and creating a positive impact, and following up on their implementation by government agencies.
In addition to the above, the Executive Council’s powers include approving the establishment, organization, and reorganization of government agencies, before submitting them to His Highness the Ruler of Dubai for approval, and preparing and improving the legislative and regulatory structures related to the strategic sectors that attract, stimulate, and enhance Dubai’s leadership locally, regionally, and globally, and enhance the role of the government and government agencies as an enabler and catalyst. And supports the various strategic sectors, and ensures the participation of all concerned sectors, in a manner consistent with the requirements for achieving and implementing the emirate’s strategic plan, as well as establishing frameworks regulating the governance of the work of public institutions that operate on a commercial basis, as well as companies owned by the government or government agencies, to ensure the achievement of their objectives for which they were established. In addition to cooperation and coordination with the federal government and local governments in the emirates of the country in order to serve the higher directions of the UAE and the Emirate of Dubai.
The new law specifies the mechanism for appointing the Chairman of the Executive Council, which shall be by decree issued by the Ruler of the Emirate, and details the powers of the Chairman of the Council, the mechanism for appointing the Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General of the Council, and the members, and the responsibilities of the Chairman of the Council, his deputies, and the members.
“Strategic Affairs Council”
Law No. (26) of 2023 included the formation of the “Strategic Affairs Council” as a council affiliated with the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, and defined its powers, the most prominent of which are approving the general policies of the Emirate of Dubai in various strategic fields, submitting them to the Executive Council for approval, and reviewing the Dubai Strategic Plan, and submitting them to the Executive Council. To approve them, and work to align the plans of sectors and government agencies with the Dubai Strategic Plan to ensure their implementation, as well as approve strategic plans, policies, initiatives, projects and the annual agenda that will support the emirate’s higher directions and policies in all sectors, and submit them to the Executive Council for approval, and approve proposals and recommendations related to the implementation of policies and plans. And initiatives and projects that support the higher directions and policies of the emirate.
The powers of the Strategic Affairs Council also include discussing and approving plans to develop and improve the government’s overall performance, raising performance levels in various strategic sectors, following up on global competitiveness indicators related to the Emirate of Dubai, and submitting the necessary plans to enhance the emirate’s global position to the Executive Council for approval, in coordination and cooperation with the competent authorities. In addition to approving programs that aim to achieve and enhance excellence, leadership and innovation in government performance, and submitting them to the Executive Council for approval, as well as honoring pioneering achievements in accordance with the best international standards, models and practices applied in this regard, and approving programs aimed at enhancing leadership and development of government services and improving their level, efficiency and quality in accordance with The best global models and practices applied in this regard, and submitting them to the Executive Council for approval, and expressing an opinion on draft legislation with a strategic impact submitted to it by the competent government agencies, which aim to provide an attractive and stimulating legislative and regulatory environment, and issuing the necessary directives regarding them.
Law No. (26) of 2023 included defining the powers of the Chairman of the Strategic Affairs Council. The law also stipulated the issuance of the work system for both the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai and the Strategic Affairs Council.
General Secretariat
The law stipulates that the Executive Council will have a general secretariat, consisting of the Secretary-General, one or more assistants, and a number of employees with experience and expertise in various fields. The law specifies the powers and powers of the General Secretariat to enable it to support and support the Executive Council, the Strategic Affairs Council, councils, committees, and work teams. affected by them in the decision-making process.
The powers of the General Secretariat include supporting the Executive Council and the Strategic Affairs Council in approving and approving public policies, making decisions and strategic directions for the Emirate of Dubai, leading the process of preparing and updating the Dubai Strategic Plan, formulating future directions and work priorities for the Emirate in coordination with the relevant authorities, anticipating future opportunities and challenges, and enhancing the Emirate’s competitiveness. In various fields, by following up on international reports and indicators related to the emirate, developing the necessary development and improvement plans, and proposing policies, initiatives, programs and projects that will enhance the emirate’s international standing.
The powers of the General Secretariat also include: managing and implementing the programs and initiatives necessary to enhance the emirate’s competitiveness in various fields, providing technical support to develop and update strategies for various sectors, proposing and implementing joint work frameworks and systems to raise the level of government performance and the performance of strategic sectors in the emirate in cooperation and coordination with the relevant authorities, as well as reviewing Strategies, policies, studies, initiatives, projects and requests proposed by government agencies, and making observations and recommendations regarding them, before presenting them to the Executive Council and the Strategic Affairs Council, as the case may be, to take the necessary decisions regarding them.
Other powers of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, as stipulated in the new law, include preparing strategies and policies related to the creation and development of government services, introducing and managing programs aimed at enhancing and improving government services at the emirate level, and working in coordination with the relevant authorities to create unique and distinct experiences for customers, according to The best established models and practices and management of government excellence programs, and the application of modern management concepts, in accordance with standards, models, best practices, innovative solutions and initiatives, with the aim of achieving and enhancing excellence, leadership and innovation in government operations and performance, and honoring pioneering achievements.
The General Secretariat of the Executive Council is also concerned with expressing an opinion on draft federal and local legislation submitted to it by the competent government agencies, with the aim of ensuring their harmony and compatibility with the strategies and policies adopted in this regard, and submitting the annual report to the Executive Council and the Strategic Affairs Council on the results of implementing the Dubai Strategic Plan, and managing programs. Excellence and leadership in government operations, developing government performance, programs for developing government services and improving the level and quality of these services, following up on the performance of plans, policies, programmes, projects and strategic initiatives adopted by the government, and preparing proposals and recommendations related to determining aspects of expenditure from the general budget, in accordance with the priorities of the Emirate of Dubai and plans. Approved policies, initiatives and projects in cooperation and coordination with the Department of Finance and relevant government agencies.
The powers of the General Secretariat also include preparing and reviewing the general government structure, including government work mechanisms, proposing the necessary amendments to develop and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the government apparatus in accordance with good governance frameworks, supporting the establishment of new government agencies, and supporting the process of approving and developing the organizational structures of government agencies, in coordination with the authorities. Concerned, and preparing mechanisms for organizing and governing the work of public institutions that operate on a commercial basis and companies owned by the government or government agencies in coordination with the concerned authorities, and submitting them to the Strategic Affairs Council for approval in preparation for approval by the Executive Council, in addition to conducting specialized studies and research, and implementing opinion polls to measure the level of quality and efficiency. The effectiveness of the government apparatus and the services provided by it in accordance with the legislation in force in the emirate, in addition to the implementation and management of government communication policies at the level of the Executive Council, the Strategic Affairs Council and government agencies, including the institutional identity of the government and government agencies in accordance with the evidence and policies approved in this regard and other competencies. Supporting the work and objectives of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai.
Law No. (26) of 2023 included the mechanism for appointing the Secretary-General of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, which shall be by decree issued by His Highness the Ruler of the Emirate, based on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Executive Council. The law also specified the powers of the Secretary-General of the Council.
The Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, or his authorized representative, shall issue the necessary decisions to implement the provisions of this law. Law No. (26) of 2023 replaces Law No. (3) of 2003 establishing the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, and Executive Council Resolution No. (40) of 2015 regarding the powers of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, and Executive Council Resolution No. (66) of 2017 will be cancelled. Regarding the formation of the Strategic Affairs Council in the Executive Council, any text in any other legislation shall also be repealed to the extent that it conflicts with the provisions of this law.
The decisions and regulations issued in implementation of Law No. (3) of 2003, Executive Council Resolution No. (40) of 2015, and Executive Council Resolution No. (66) of 2017 referred to will continue until the decisions and regulations that replace them are issued.
Law No. (26) of 2023 will be effective from the date of its issuance and will be published in the Official Gazette.
