Dubai: The Government Summit will now be an annual event and the next edition will be held from February 10 to 12, 2014, according to an order issued on Sunday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The order to hold the event on an annual basis aims to consolidate the position of the UAE as a regional and international hub for developing innovative governmental services. The 2014 edition will focus on new concepts for rendering governmental services, which is in line with the vision of Shaikh Mohammad for future governments and a new generation of advanced governmental services.
It was during the 2013 edition that Shaikh Mohammad announced his vision for governmental departments, which is for departments to operate round the clock just like airline companies.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Government Summit organising committee, said Shaikh Mohammad’s order seeks to make the summit a national dialogue, annual meeting and an interactive platform for improving governmental services and policies.

“The last edition of the summit received distinguished support from the UAE leadership. It was also very positively received by the public, and discussed topics of concern on a regional and international level,” said Al Gergawi.

“Our goal for the next edition is to further consolidate the summit as a global forum to discuss best governmental practices, exchanging expertise, as well as an international gathering for experts to discuss the best policies and latest developments regarding the progress of peoples around the world,” he added.

“During the last summit, the UAE leadership has established a new model for governmental transparency on the regional level, and an innovative practice of directly interacting with the public on topics related to national, social and development issues. This was a massive contribution to the summit’s success,” said Al Gergawi.