The UAE Centennial 2071 plan, launched in 2017 by Dubai Prime Minister and Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, provides a comprehensive government strategy with the lofty objective of positioning the UAE as the world’s premier nation by its 100th anniversary in 2071. This bold strategy aims to promote economic diversification, advance education, and prepare the next generation of Emiratis for a world that is significantly different from that of their forefathers.

In March 2017, Sheikh Mohammed urged the next generation of Emiratis to grab existing possibilities and contribute to the creation of a successful future. Annual meetings were advertised from the start in order to create the UAE Centennial 2071 goals. During these events, government bodies at various levels discuss challenges, strategies, and the drafting of a long-term work plan for the country’s development over the next five decades.

These multi-day seminars are planned to include workshops and brainstorming sessions on a variety of issues, including housing, infrastructure, geopolitical positioning, soft power, investment environment, legislative processes, talent development, and interagency coordination. Important sectors such as education, healthcare, digital transformation, housing, climate change, and food security are also addressed.

The “We the UAE” 2031 plan was launched during the 2022 meeting, with the purpose of guiding the UAE’s development for the next decade and eventually harmonizing with the larger goal of the Centennial 2071 vision. The plan focuses on four key objectives: first, developing a flexible government with a clear public-centric vision; second, investing in education with a focus on advanced IT, professionalism, and ethics in educational institutions; third, establishing a diverse, globally competitive economy; and fourth, fostering values of tolerance, social cohesion, and respect in order to position the UAE as the world’s foremost country.