VICE-PRESIDENT SAYS COUNTRY WILL BECOME A GLOBAL TOURISM, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL HUB
DUBAI, Nov 18 — The next seven years will be decisive as the UAE works towards becoming a key global economic player, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said.
Sheikh Mohammad made the statement on the occasion of the Dh650 billion agreements signed by national airlines during the Dubai Airshow 2013 for purchasing 500 aircraft.
“The UAE’s vision for 2021 is to be the best in the world. We have global economic ambitions in many sectors, and among them is the aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammad said.
“President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is leading a new phase of growth in the UAE, and work teams in all sectors and emirates are working under a unified order, vision and goal. Over the past decades, the UAE has invested in individuals who do not acknowledge the existence of the word ‘impossible’,” he added.
“Forty-two years ago, an aircraft was alien to most UAE people. Today, our national airlines are leading the sector on the global stage. We are investing in the future, we believe in ourselves and our youth, and we are striving to make our people happy,” Sheikh Mohammad said.
“According to reports, we have one of the best road infrastructures in the world. And now, we are one of the best in airlines. They say the sky is the limit for ambitions. We say: the sky is only the beginning.”
“We have one of the best flight and maritime networks, road infrastructure and smart grids. We link the world with one another. The UAE will not simply be an interchange between the east and the west, but will become the new economic hub. We will become an economic, tourism and cultural capital to more than two billion people.”
“There is a message that we must convey to the region: The region’s stability lies in investments in the economy, affinity between nations and working for the leisure of citizens. We call on everyone to join us in our efforts to build a better future and rekindle hope in our region,” he added.
