Executive Council Endorses Comprehensive Plan to Elevate Dubai’s Global Ranking

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

The Executive Council of Dubai has authorised a wide-ranging set of strategic initiatives intended to raise the emirate’s international profile. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council, gave formal approval to the programme during a Council session held as part of the UAE Annual Government Meetings 2025.

The measures align with directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and are structured to deliver sustained improvements in quality of life and economic competitiveness.

The package spans multiple domains — including urban greenery, aviation workforce development, schooling, sport, judicial reform for financial recovery, and early detection healthcare enhancements — aiming to consolidate Dubai’s leadership role across sectors.

Major Green Investment and Urban Nature Targets

A central plank is the Public Parks and Greenery Strategy, supported by an AED 18.3 billion commitment. The programme comprises more than 800 interventions, notably 310 new parks, upgrades to 322 existing parks, the development of 120 open public spaces and the greening of over 70 roadway corridors.

Goals through 2040 include tripling the number of trees, expanding green cover to 187 square kilometres and ensuring 80% of residents live within a five-minute walk of a park. All irrigation will rely entirely on recycled water to advance sustainability objectives.

Aviation Talent 33: Workforce and Partnerships

The Aviation Talent 33 initiative is designed to reinforce Dubai’s aviation ecosystem. Planners expect it to create in excess of 15,000 jobs and provide some 4,000 training placements, with an emphasis on Emiratisation and leadership progression.

The initiative also targets about 30 strategic alliances with international aviation stakeholders and supports broader aims to double Dubai’s economy and attract AED 650 billion in investments by 2033.

Expanding Affordable, High-Quality Schooling

Education policy in the new package focuses on affordability and capacity. The Policy to Expand and Promote Affordable High-Quality Schools seeks to open 60 additional schools by 2033, adding roughly 120,000 student places.

To encourage investment, the measures include incentives such as fee reductions and lower land lease costs for operators, supporting Dubai’s drive to be among the world’s top ten cities for education quality.

Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033

The Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033 positions sport as both a public lifestyle priority and an economic sector. Comprising 19 programmes and 75 initiatives, it is intended to bring international competitions to Dubai, strengthen local clubs and nurture talent, with particular focus on youth and people of determination.

New Financial Restructuring Court

To bolster investor confidence, Dubai will establish a Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Court to adjudicate bankruptcy and debt settlement proceedings. The court is intended to safeguard investor rights, facilitate equitable resolutions and support Dubai’s ambition to rank among the top three global financial centres.

Scaling Early Detection in Healthcare

Health initiatives emphasise prevention and early diagnosis to reduce the burden of chronic disease, which currently accounts for 52% of deaths. Proposed targets include a 40% increase in colon cancer screening rates, a 50% expansion of vaccination services, and improved service metrics — aiming for over 90% patient satisfaction and appointment wait times below seven days.

Collectively, these measures — from expanded green infrastructure to aviation workforce development, from affordable schooling to preventive healthcare — are intended to advance Dubai’s ambition to be among the world’s leading, most liveable and most advanced cities, driven by sustainability, governance reforms and human-capital investment.