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Dubai’s government departments to be assessed on future readiness

A new index aims to ensure the emirate is one of the most prepared cities to overcome challenges and leverage future opportunities

Dubai has launched the world’s first index that will assess government entities’ future readiness. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, launched the index at the World Government Summit (WGS) 2023.

The index aims to improve the readiness of Dubai government entities to tackle global and local challenges, promote innovation, and empower employees to design future strategies. The index aims to position Dubai as a leading city of the future that prioritises well-being and safeguards livelihoods, while also ensuring it is one of the most prepared cities to overcome challenges and leverage future opportunities.

The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) developed the first-of-its-kind index in collaboration with the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP).

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: “We have launched the Dubai Future Readiness Index to continue the government’s journey of excellence started 25 years ago by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The index is designed to ensure that future readiness is a key indicator in evaluating the performance of Dubai government entities.

“To realise our leadership’s vision, government entities must always be prepared for local and global challenges, changes, and opportunities. We encourage our government entities to prioritise empowering their employees with future-shaping skills and promote innovation. We aim to position the Dubai Future Readiness Index as a leading global model that can support other governments worldwide in developing their strategies.”

The index will identify opportunities and priorities, highlight areas for improvement, and develop knowledge-exchange programmes.

“Dubai’s government ecosystem is built on continuous innovation, proactive planning, and a comprehensive approach to anticipating future trends and transformations. This ecosystem has consolidated Dubai’s position as a leader in future readiness and as a provider of exceptional government services regionally and globally,” said Sheikh Hamdan.

He stressed that it is “crucial” for Dubai’s government entities to adopt flexible and innovative models when delivering their services, achieving their goals, and implementing their strategies. “The new index will encourage government entities to foster a culture of innovation, excellence and leadership, as well as encourage a proactive approach to enhancing readiness for future challenges. It is vital to continue developing benchmarks and indicators that align with our goals and aspirations.”

The index includes 66 sub-indicators across five key areas. It will evaluate government entities on their readiness to address new opportunities and challenges, future-ready ecosystems, and their ability to adopt new technologies. It will also assess their efficiency in designing potential future scenarios and capacity building in future foresight.

The index will release a biennial report listing the most future-ready government entities, and these will be evaluated as part of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme. The index outcomes will entail an independent institutional assessment by global experts and employee surveys, using the pre-established indicators of the central government entities.

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