UAE to combat drug abuse and trafficking in new strategy, Sheikh Mohammed announces - News

The UAE Cabinet adopted a national anti-drug strategy during the crisis annual government meetings which started on Monday, November 4 in Abu Dhabi. The strategy would include strengthening deterrence for drug dealers and promoters both locally and internationally, setting up rehabilitation centres, raising community awareness and setting up correctional centers for offenders, among other effective measures.

Announcing the strategy, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who chaired the meeting that began with an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, said: “Drugs are a plague, a loss, an addiction. .. an illusion and a social cancer that everyone must fight together.”

Cabinet, which also reviewed the progress of the federal government’s housing plans, was told that the percentage of citizens owning a home in the country has risen from 76 percent to 91 percent in the past five years.

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The percentage of housing applications has fallen from 13,000 to only 650. At the same time, the period for obtaining a home has been reduced from 4 years to one year. Since its inception, more than 90,000 citizens have benefited from the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, with a budget of Dh60 billion.

Furthermore, the UAE Cabinet has ratified 22 international agreements to promote economic, trade, legal, judicial and educational partnerships. “We have signed MoUs on energy, competitiveness and research with seventeen countries. The UAE continues to build stronger ties with countries around the world as part of our growing international engagement,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

These annual meetings, which involve 500 key officials in the UAE, are of particular importance as they involve cooperation between federal and local authorities.

This year’s session of the Annual Government Meetings, which will take place on November 5 and 6, 2024, will see significant changes in organization, priorities, agenda, guiding principles and objectives, as well as many frameworks adopted by the Government during the past sessions.

The agenda consists of three national retreats prior to the first day, focusing on national identity, family and AI. It also includes eight panel discussions on national priorities, with the participation of heads of federal and local government agencies.

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