Sheikh Mohammed on why families are crucial for Dubai

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has launched a Dhs208bn decade-long social welfare program to double the number of Emirati families in the emirate.

Dubai Social Agenda 33, as the social welfare program is known, complements the objectives of the D33 agenda.

The program seeks to advance all aspects of life for Emirati families in the emirate including housing, quality of life, identity and values, social cohesion and healthcare.

It fosters sustainable social development and the provision of services that directly benefit individuals and meet their expectations.

“Our nation is not merely buildings and figures; it is made up of families and people. My message to everyone in charge is that our priority for the next stage is to protect, empower and support our families,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“The Dubai Social Agenda outlines clear objectives and programmes based on the allocated budget, and will be overseen by my sons Hamdan, Maktoum, Ahmed and their brothers who grew up as part of the larger Dubai family and will care about its wellbeing more than anyone else.”

The initiative seeks to establish the world’s most efficient and high-quality healthcare system and develop an education sector capable of keeping pace with Dubai’s future ambitions to be among the top ten cities in the world for quality education.

The program also calls for a proactive social care system to be cultivated, focused on the protection, care and empowerment of citizens and for the number of Emiratis working in Dubai’s private sector companies to be tripled.

Funding Dubai Social Agenda 33

With government support worth Dhs208bn – more than double the support allocated for the social agenda of the past decade – the Dubai Social Agenda 33 operates under two key pillars: healthcare and community development.

Dubai increased funding for healthcare by 1.8 times from Dhs66m between 2014 and 2023 to Dhs120bn for the next decade until 2033.

The government allocated Dhs88bn to community development, a 3.4 times increase compared to Dhs26bn for the past decade.

The pillar covers a wide range of sectors that aim to improve quality of life and ensure social wellbeing, including education, citizen support as well as arts and culture, citizen housing and sports.

Furthermore, the authorities said Dhs26bn would be used for citizen support, to promote family stability and well-being.

Dubai plans to spend Dhs21.9bn on supporting social institutions to bolster social cohesion, raise awareness of national identity and encourage citizens to be more involved in their communities.

The government also set aside Dhs14.5bn for the development of integrated residential compounds for Emiratis, while Dhs13bn will be invested in fostering a sustainable education system that supports young talent and entrepreneurial spirit.

Read: Sheikh Hamdan reviews DET progress on Dubai Economic Agenda D33 goals