The UAE accomplished many achievements under the rule of the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, including being ranked among the top 10 globally in 20 key indicators of global competitiveness related to the energy and infrastructure sector for the year 2021, according to reports issued by a number of major international institutions concerned with global competitiveness.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has implemented leading projects worth over AED40 billion, media reports said.
All federal assets number more than 3,000 federal buildings varying between educational and health facilities, government services buildings and mosques.
His rule saw the establishment, completion and upgrading of more than 230 public schools, and the development of a world-class system of hospitals and 32 federal government health facilities.
He also supported fishermen by establishing more than 24 fishing ports.
The ministry achieved considerable progress in terms of roads, with the total length of federal roads reaching more than 900 kilometers with the completion of more than 140 projects.
The total length of traffic lanes on federal roads reached 4,300 kilometers over the past 18 years.
The ministry has also prioritized water facilities as a key driver of the water development process, most notably the inclusion of dams and water channels within its strategic plans, especially during seasonal times and increasing amounts of rainfall.
Over 106 dams have been constructed and maintained over the past 20 years. The capacity of the country’s dams and reservoirs has increased to more than 200-million cubic meters.
Since its establishment, the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme has contributed to the stability of more than 33,838 citizen families by providing housing support and establishing integrated residential districts.
The UAE has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the Category B membership for the third time, following comprehensive efforts and an intensive election campaign leading up to the elections.
The country’s competencies have helped it gain the status of being a key global maritime hub. The sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP is AED90 billion annually. UAE ports handled over 19 million TEUs during 2021, and there were over 25,000 port calls in the UAE during the same year. UAE’s national fleet capacity stands at 21 million DWT and national fleet in 2020 consisted of 970 vessels.
The UAE has been a frontrunner in several global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector. The country was ranked third in transport services trade and Bunker Supply Index. It ranked fifth as a key competitive maritime hub and 13th globally in Port Performance and Efficiency Index. The country’s ports rank among the top 10 internationally in the volume of container handling. There are over 27,000 maritime companies in the UAE and the country’s ports rank among the top worldwide.