Abu Dhabi: Being a charismatic and progressive leader, late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan have led the UAE towards the accomplishment of countless achievements during his reign.
During his rule, the UAE was 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 support and vision of Sheikh Khalifa enabled the country to rapidly achieve progress and occupy a prominent stature in the areas of infrastructure and housing.
With late Sheikh Khalifa’s guidance and leadership, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure focused on balanced nationwide development by implementing major projects worth over $10.89 billion (AED40 billion) during his stay at office. 3000+ federal buildings, from educational and health facilities, government services buildings and mosques form part of federal assets.
One of the major accomplishments of the Sheikh Khalifa era was 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.
The late President of the UAE also supported fishermen by establishing more than 24 fishing ports.
ROADWAYS
More than 900 kilometers of federal roads were constructed by the Ministry as part of 140+ projects, marking substantial growth for the sector. The total length of traffic lanes on federal roads reached 4,300 kilometers over the past 18 years, linking the country’s regions and cities in a smooth and flexible manner.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Prioritizing water facilities as a key driver of the water development process, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure constructed and maintained more than 106 dams over the last 20 years. The capacity of the country’s dams and reservoirs have risen to more than 200-million cubic meters, strengthening its water security system.
Since its establishment, the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program has contributed to the stability of 33,838+ citizen families by providing housing support and establishing integrated residential districts.
MARITIME SECTOR
Following wide-ranging efforts and an intensive election campaign leading up to the elections, the UAE was re-elected recently to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the Category B membership for the 3rd time.
The results of the election were announced last year during the 32nd session of the IMO Assembly in London. On being re-elected, the UAE received international praise for its pivotal role in developing strategies, policies and agreements that enhancing maritime safety standards, protecting the marine environment and enhance the efficiency of the global industry.
As the country remains a key global maritime hub, the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP is $24.50 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.
SUPERIOR POSITION ON GLOBAL MARITIME INDICES
The UAE was ranked 3rd in transport services trade and Bunker Supply Index. Meanwhile, the country was ranked 5th as a key competitive maritime hub and 13th globally in Port Performance and Efficiency Index.
Ports in the UAE 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.