Chaired the first meeting of the Council

Khalid bin Mohammed: «Abu Dhabi Executive» works on the continuity of the priorities and vision of Mohammed bin Zayed

Khalid bin Mohammed directed the development of a comprehensive and proactive housing services system for citizens. WAM

H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, chaired the first meeting of the Council held yesterday at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court.

His Highness was briefed on a number of government plans and projects, priorities for government work and service initiatives provided to citizens and residents.

His Highness stressed that the Executive Council will work to continue the Abu Dhabi government's approach in achieving the priorities and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to secure the pillars of a decent life for citizens and enhance them from housing, education, health services and everything that consolidates their security and stability.

During the meeting, the Council approved the updated housing benefits policy, including updating the eligibility conditions and usufruct controls, to meet the requirements of national families, and reduce the waiting period for obtaining housing benefit, as the updated policy includes the adoption of the service of granting ready housing free of charge to low-income people, raising the minimum number of housing loans to support the most needy groups, and updating the requirements and controls for replacing housing benefits.

During its meeting, the Executive Council reviewed the latest developments in the implementation of current government projects, especially residential and service projects, and directed His Highness to develop a comprehensive and proactive housing services system for citizens in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in partnership with the private sector, to ensure that the construction process is facilitated and access to these services is easy and fast, with the implementation of a number of accelerators, which will provide suitable housing units to serve citizens as soon as possible.

On the other hand, His Highness was briefed on the results and developments of the first phase of the "Foundational Living Strategy", which included the development of community facilities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, under which projects worth AED 12 billion are being implemented, including pedestrian and bicycle paths, and the establishment of community facilities, such as sports fields, clinics, mosques, public parks and green spaces.

After reviewing the preliminary results of the first phase, His Highness directed the start of the next phase of the plan, which comes within the vision and priority of the Abu Dhabi government in building and providing an integrated and sustainable community environment that ensures the stability and cohesion of the emirate's society and contributes to adopting a healthy lifestyle in an integrated community environment in line with the local culture and traditions of the Emirati heritage.

During the meeting, the Executive Council also reviewed the latest developments in the government services system in the emirate, and directed His Highness to work on updating the government services system immediately, to identify priorities for improvement in the provision of government services to customers proactively and smoothly, which saves them time and effort, and enables them to obtain all services with high quality and efficiency.

Government entities were able to provide more than 700 services through unified channels, resulting in nearly eight million transactions by customers last year.

In conclusion, His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi stressed that empowering citizens and youth of all kinds of opportunities is a top priority on the government's agenda, and one of the pillars of the Council's work.

His Highness directed to work on initiatives and programmes that ensure the creation of real and sustainable opportunities for citizens, and enhance the refinement of the skills of national competencies in the public and private sectors, in order to meet their aspirations, contribute to securing their societal stability, and enhance their contributions to the wheel of economic development of the emirate.

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi:

"Empowering citizens and youth with all kinds of opportunities is a top priority on the government's agenda, and one of the basics of the council's work."