UAE's efforts to spread culture of innovation pay off

The UAE has improved its standing in the 2017 Global Innovation Index, topping all Arab countries and ranking 35th globally to improve six places from last year's 41st position to cement its status as one of the world's most innovative countries.

The results of the index were officially announced during a press conference held on Thursday at the European headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland, which was attended by Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, the UAE's permanent representative to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva. It affirmed the UAE's significant progress in several pillars, the most prominent of which are human capital and research as well as creative outputs.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, said the UAE's significant progress in the GII is the latest of the country's achievements in various fields of development and global performance indices, which he said contributes in enhancing the UAE's position as a regional and global economic destination. He noted how the UAE has managed to maintain its lead among Middle Eastern and African countries in the field of innovation and has made significant progress in advancing its ranking among the fastest-growing innovation-driven countries.

Al Mansouri explained that the UAE's success is largely due to the directives of the leadership to include innovation as a key pillar in all development policies and strategic plans adopted in various sectors.

The minister added that the favourable result reflects the effectiveness of efforts and initiatives undertaken by various entities to enhance the UAE's ability to attract and retain outstanding talents and key investments to achieve the ambitious goal of transforming the UAE into a global innovation hub.

The UAE's six-place improvement is considered one of the highest percentage score growth rates among remaining countries in the Global Innovation Index with a growth of 10 per cent.

The minister added that the UAE government has made continuous and intensive efforts to spread the culture of innovation and consolidate its practices, as it will be the pillar of the national economy in the coming decades.

Hussein bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, said the progress on the GII mirrors the UAE's approach to deepen the role of innovation in development, which is a major focus of the Ministry of Education. He said the objective is to achieve more efficient educational performance through a vision based on innovative education for a globally leading knowledge society.

Mubarak Al Mansoori, governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, said the continuous progress achieved by the UAE on this important global index reflects the excellent performance in many sectors related to innovation in the country and its increasing ability to attract quality investments which enhance its competitive position in innovation.

Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and chairperson of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, said: "The Authority's team in cooperation with government entities has succeeded in working strategically to improve the UAE's performance in this year's global innovation index, and in consolidating the UAE's strengths as a key player in the global innovation system. The fostering of a culture of innovation is the result of the successful exchange of knowledge and experience and the implementation of the best international practices."

Dr Saqr bin Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, underscored the importance of the UAE's achievement in the GII. He pointed out that his Ministry strives to fulfill the objectives of the National Agenda through the proper implementation of its strategic plan for 2017 to 2021 aimed at enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the labour market; empowering citizens; and attracting creative talents and exceptional human resources. He explained that these complement efforts to transform the UAE into a knowledge economy and strengthen the country's position in various global competitiveness indicators, especially the innovation index.

Source: Khaleej Times