The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) held the first station on the third edition of its ‘Future Trip’ programme under the theme ‘Government Leadership’, welcoming leaders of the first and second tier from the federal and local governments, as well as the private sector.

The event sought to empower the attending leaders, equip them with expertise and experiences, and enable them to make sound, calculated decisions and improve services to meet international best standards.

The ‘Government Leadership’ station is a key pillar of the ‘Future Trip’ programme. It seeks to empower future government leaders and equip them with up-to-date tools and best practices in the field of government administration. The programme aims to keep them updated on the evolving governmental smart-city and open-data initiatives. This, in turn, will be used in creating innovation-based government policies and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to develop the Government Excellence Model in all sectors.

H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, MBRSG’s Executive President, said: “The ‘Future Trip’ programme reflects the vision and directive of our wise leadership to keep up with global developments in the field of government administration, and to take proactive steps in preparation for the future and its challenges. In addition, the programme seeks to promote government excellence in the UAE, which has established itself as a global model of an innovation-based government.”

“The successive stations we organise as part of the programme serve to empower leaders in the public and private sectors, keep them updated with insights and solutions, and empower them to develop policies and address all variables on the ground,” H.E. Dr Al Marri added. “We established a base for government knowledge, focusing on future leadership expertise with the aim of empowering executives and heads of entities, organisations, and companies around the UAE to make insightful decisions and find practical solutions to challenges.”

“We are delighted to be hosting this high-profile group of leaders from the federal and local governments, as well as the private sector in the first station of the third edition of our ‘Future Trip’ programme,” Al Marri asserted. “Their participation reflects their commitment to cooperating, exchanging expertise, and reaching common solutions and visions to support the government in dealing with various economic and service-related issues, in addition to providing a global management model that enhances the competitiveness of the UAE and its leadership across all sectors.”

Professor Raed Awamleh, Dean of MBRSG, added that the ‘Government Leadership’ station represents an important step in the School’s efforts to provide various entities in the UAE with the latest government policies and modern administration processes that are up-to-date with the rapid technological progress and in line with global leadership best practices.

“The participating leaders exhibited a great ability to develop their strengths, acquire modern management skills, and remain on top of the latest global systems,” Prof. Awamleh added. “This, in turn, allows them to develop a realistic understanding of the challenges, and tailor innovative solutions to address them and ensure outstanding results.”

The ‘Government Leadership’ station brought together 23 leaders from the Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Health and Prevention; Ministry of Climate Change and Environment; General Directorate of Civil Defense; National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority; Dubai Health Authority; Roads and Transport Authority; Dubai Government Human Resources Department; Community Development Authority; Emirates International Accreditation Centre; General Authority of Ports, Borders and Free Zones Security; Dubai Courts; General Authority of Sports; Dubai Media Incorporated; Dubai Culture & Arts Authority; Al Khaleej newspaper, and Rashid Al Kaitoob Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The station included three sessions led by H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri and Prof. Raed Awamleh. Several discussions were held exploring the latest global management models and reviewing case studies where innovative solutions were proposed to address challenges in several economic and service sectors around the world.

The discussions were marked by great interaction from the participating leaders, who proposed scenarios to deal with issues facing government organisations in the UAE. They highlighted the UAE’s focus on driving a participatory work model to improve all industries and reinforce the UAE Government Excellence Model and its regional and global leadership.

The station also dedicated a day to visit STRATA Manufacturing, wholly-owned by Mubadala, in Al Ain, to identify the strategies of the UAE’s semi-government sector. The participating leaders explored the company’s production lines, which specialise in composite aerostructures manufacturing. They expressed their admiration for the company’s world-class operations, management, and training and skills of its staff. Beginning its operations in 2010, the company has grown to supply products to major international companies, such as Airbus, Boeing and Leonardo-Finmeccanica Aerostructures Division.

The third edition of the ‘Future Trip’ programme included five stations: Government Leadership, Future Governments, Government Innovation, and Smart Government. The programme also includes a number of lectures and workshops, as well as visits to various federal and local government bodies to learn about the best government practices in the UAE.