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Sports enthusiast, leader of national projects: All you need to know about Abu Dhabi's new Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled

The leader has been working on a number of projects and has led impactful initiatives that will shape UAE's future

Published: Thu 30 Mar 2023, 6:08 PM

Updated: Thu 30 Mar 2023, 6:17 PM

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Photos: WAM

Photos: WAM

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Wednesday, appointed Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Khaled, who is a Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, is known for spearheading the National Genome Strategy, focusing on upskilling Emirati youth, and being passionate about sports.

The deft leader has been working on a number of projects and has led impactful initiatives that will shape UAE's future. Here is everything you need to know about the new Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.

Emirates Genomics Council

As the chairman of the Emirates Genomics Council, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed attended the launch of the National Genome Strategy in March this year along with the UAE President and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Over the next 10 years, the strategy will provide a comprehensive framework of legislation and governance to support the development and implementation of genomic programmes to deliver on the UAE’s public health priorities and enhance wellbeing in the country.

At the meeting, Sheikh Khaled said, “The National Genome Strategy ensures a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem that will accelerate the development of priority preventive and personalised healthcare solutions for our citizens. The Council will also oversee the ‘One Million Genome’ project which will enable the healthcare sector and enhance its services.”

The Emirates Genome Council, which was established in 2021, has made significant progress in establishing a foundation for regulatory, research, technological and medical institutions to connect, collaborate and develop qualitative medical applications and services

At an earlier meeting at Expo 2020, Sheikh Khaled had said that UAE had ambitious plans to develop game-changing genome programmes in the country. “At the core of our strategy is a desire to change the face of healthcare to become more personalised, enabling people not just in the UAE, but around the world, to live healthier lives.”

Upskilling Emiratis

On the directives of Sheikh Khaled, a new government-led career-building programme was launched to enable school graduates, university graduates and job seekers gain additional skills and springboard their careers.

It will also provide access to apprenticeships, internships, first-step careers and specialist and practical training opportunities through partners. Job-matching support across the public and private sector will help citizens grow and thrive in careers that match and expand their skill set.

The programme expands on existing upskilling initiatives that have matched more than 4,000 Emiratis to full-time jobs in 2021.

Commenting on the launch, Sheikh Khaled said: “This investment in Abu Dhabi’s human capital aims to encourage a passion to explore, learn and grow, and to acquire the tools to excel in the jobs of today and tomorrow. By building on previous training programmes, we are providing ongoing support for our talented workforce to continue expanding their skills at all stages of their career and help drive the future progress of the nation.”

Passion for sport

A keen martial art enthusiast, Sheikh Khaled has been one of the biggest supporters of UAE’s Jiu Jitsu program. In October last year, he inaugurated the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Abu Dhabi. He also presented medals to the winners of the first day’s competitions while recognizing the work of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation in providing the UAE national team with a platform to showcase its discipline and skill.

In November 2022, he presented the winner’s trophy to F1 season world champion Max Verstappen at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022. In 2021, Sheikh Khaled also oversaw the signing of the 10-year agreement between Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and Formula One Group to continue hosting the F1 season finale at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

In November, the inaugural edition of the Bike Abu Dhabi Festival at Abu Dhabi’s Corniche was held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, it brought 300 of the world’s top urban cyclists to the city. The festival was the latest initiative under the Bike Abu Dhabi platform that Sheikh Khaled launched to spearhead the emirate’s long-term ambitions to become a leading global cycling hub.

Under the platform, the emirate will see significant infrastructure enhancements, including an extension of the emirate’s 300km cycling network to more than 1,000km, as well as the 109km Abu Dhabi Loop – a segregated cycle way linking key destinations across the city, further enhancing mobility and encouraging the community to engage in a healthy lifestyle and use safe and sustainable transportation.

Plans are also in place to build Velodrome Hudayriyat, a 3,500sqm capacity arena for track racing that will provide further opportunities to host high-profile international and local cycling events.

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