UAE cabinet approves Dh320m budget for national universities

The UAE Federal Cabinet has approved an additional budget of Dhs320m for national universities.

“We approved Dhs320m in extra budgets for our national universities to improve their future performance. Normality will resume at our universities and schools,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Twitter, after he chaired a virtual cabinet meeting.

“It’s the government’s job to create an ideal environment for students to return in the academic year 2020/2021.”

The cabinet also approved a national system for sustained agriculture.

واعتمدنا اليوم ٣٢٠ مليون درهم ميزانيات إضافية لجامعاتنا الوطنية لتطوير وتحسين الأداء مستقبلاً … ستعود الحياة لجامعاتنا ومدارسنا وصفوف طلابنا قريباً .. والحكومة وظيفتها تهيئة بيئة مثالية لعودتهم للعام الدراسي ٢٠٢٠-٢٠٢١ pic.twitter.com/dQ9M6sUTOC

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 28, 2020

“We want to invest in new agricultural fields and mechanisms by harnessing advanced technologies and make proactive changes in agricultural and food systems,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

The national system for sustainable agriculture seeks to increase self-sufficiency from targeted agricultural crops to 5 per cent annually, while it looks to scale average farm income to 10 per cent on a yearly basis, official news agency WAM reported.

The system also targets a 5 per cent annual increase in the sector’s workforce, while environmentally, it seeks a 15 per cent annual reduction in water used for irrigation.

Earlier this month, Sheikh Mohammed visited the Fish Farm in Dubai’s Jebel Ali, while encouraging measures to boost domestic food production.

Read: Sheikh Mohammed visits Fish Farm in Dubai, encourages domestic food production

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan also allocated Dhs5.6bn to support R&D into water scarcity and food security last year.