Sheikh Mohammed to answer questions at Dubai leadership summit

Ayesha Al Khoori

It’s the kind of question you might hear from a daydreamer at a cafe: “If you could ask the Ruler of Dubai one thing, what would it be?”

But Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, also Vice President, is giving Emiratis the chance to do exactly that at a two-day government summit outlining and examining his vision for the country.

The summit, Leadership in Government Services, begins on Monday and will be attended by more than 2,000 leaders and speakers from across the world.

But it is the element of public participation that has prompted the most excitement.

Sheikh Mohammed will hold an open session on the first day to answer questions on his vision from the Emirati public.

They are being encouraged to send their questions to his official website, from now until the start of the summit.

Emiratis were yesterday quick to suggest some questions.

Ahmed Al Menhali, 37, said he would ask whether the UAE could change its laws on nationality.

“We see expat women coming here wanting to marry Emirati men in the hopes of getting UAE nationality and then filing for divorce,” the businessman said. “My question is: why not allow the man to take away his wife’s nationality once they are divorced?”

International affairs student Mohammed Al Hosani, 21, said: “My question is, what do you think about Emirati youth when it comes to their education levels?”

Sheikh Mohammed will also use the summit to elaborate on the Government’s progress in achieving its 2021 plan, which he launched three years ago.

Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, will also address the summit, along with other speakers from the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Denmark, Canada, South Korea and Brazil.

Institutions including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum will provide lectures, and international companies will share their expertise on good customer service.

Questions can be posed in Arabic at: http://app.moca.gov.ae/publicquestions.

aalkhoori@thenational.ae

Pages:

Back to the top

Questions from Emiratis to Sheikh Mohammed

1. Ahmed Al Qassim, 20, student: “Where did you get the inspiration to want to develop the country?”

2. Rahma Al Mehairi, 34, HR personnel: “Is there a way in which the laws towards the working hours and vacations could change in order to fit the schedules of women?”

3. Khamis Al Mazroui, 33, technician: “Despite all the improvements, flourishing and developments in the UAE, are you foreseeing any kind of obstacles in the future?”

4. Ahmed Ibrahim, 41, musician: “How do you view the union after 41 years and did you reach your set goals?”

Win - A night with The National

Win an invitation for you and a guest for a celebration of all things decadent to be held at Maison Sez in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, June 26. Win - A night with The National

Dubai's Steffi Bow is a girl with a graffiti habit

Steffi Bow, a British graffiti stencil artist, works on a life-size art piece of the Lebanese rapper Malikah, as part of adidas' Unite All Originals campaign. adidas Originals

The Dubai-based graffiti stencil artist Steffi Bow, who has created a life-size artwork of the Lebanese rapper Malikah for an adidas campaign, talks about how picking up a spray can five years ago changed her life. Dubai's Steffi Bow is a girl with a graffiti habit