Uae gets new ministry of possibilities
dubai — Nothing is impossible in the UAE and the country’s VicePresident reiterated this on Tuesday by launching the world’s first virtual ministry, aptly called the Ministry of Possibilities. The ministry, which won’t have a minister, is tasked with “incubating and developing radical solutions” to the government’s most pressing problems.
Among the several projects the ministry will work on is developing a mechanism to “anticipate the needs of the public and deliver services to them before they are requested”. Another is developing an e-platform to facilitate government purchases that will reduce the time needed for the process from 60 days to six minutes.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “The word ‘impossible’ does not exist in our dictionary. It is not part of our vision and will never be part of our future.
“The reality we live in the UAE today is a product of unconventional leadership. We need modern
Sheikh Mohammed
work systems to make our unconventional ambitions a reality. The future brings challenges that require constant government restructuring.”
The ministry represents the next generation of government practices and oversees “top-priority national portfolios” that require “quick, bold and effective decisions”. Its roles include applying design-thinking and experimentation to develop proactive and disruptive solutions to tackle critical issues. It will also bring together work teams of federal and local governments and the private sector.
“Through its work, the ministry will instill in the government a culture of tackling impossible challenges,” the Ministry of Cabinet and the Future said in a Press statement.
The word ‘impossible’ does not exist in our dictionary. It is not part of our vision and will never be part of our future
dubai — His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the world’s first virtual “Ministry of Possibilities” to incubate and develop radical solutions to government’s most pressing problems.
Sheikh Mohammed directed to start working on a number of pressing national programmes in the first phase, in the form of four time-bound departments: Department of Anticipatory Services, Department of Behavioural Rewards, Department of UAE Talent and the Department of Government Procurement.
The Ministry of Possibilities represents the next generation of government practices and oversees top-priority national portfolios that require quick, bold and effective decisions. Its roles include applying design-thinking and experimentation to develop proactive and disruptive solutions to tackle critical issues, bringing together work teams of federal and local governments and the private sector. Through its work, the ministry will instil in government a culture of tackling impossible challenges.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “The reality we live in the UAE today is a product of unconventional leadership. We need modern work systems to make our unconventional ambitions a reality.”
He noted that the future brings challenges that require constant government restructuring. “The word impossible does not exist in our dictionary. It is not part of our vision and will never be part of our future,” he added.
The word impossible does not exist in our dictionary. It is not part of our vision and will never be part of our future.” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Next generation of government practices
The Ministry of Possibilities will help redefine the concept of government through creating a platform to address radical changes in government systems. The ministry will adopt new innovative models and working methods to take calculated risks, with aims to improve quality of life. It will present this new model of next generation government practices to the world.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, said: “The concept of the Ministry of Possibilities is not entirely new to the UAE that has integrated the culture of tackling the impossible, since the federation, into its innovative work system, approach and vision. The impossible has been a unifying developmental project and a future vision that has contributed to making the UAE the most innovative nation in the region.
He added: “The UAE leadership continues reinforcing the concept of the possible in all sectors of life, dedicating all possible capabilities, resources, energies and, most importantly, the willpower to defy the impossible.
“The ministry will address urgent government issues through developing proactive and radical solutions to overcome pressing challenges, improve government services and measures, and instil a culture of tackling the impossible.”
Al Gergawi pointed out that the ministry will partner with ministries and public and private entities to address pressing issues and fully cooperate to achieve timebound objectives and results.
The Ministry of Possibilities presents a future leap in successful experiences and pioneering development approach that the UAE leadership has adopted from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, to make the country among the world’s leading countries.
Agile institutional model
Reflecting the UAE vision to be the leading nation of the world by the centennial of the nation’s founding, the Ministry of Possibilities works to conceptualise the possible into an agile model to utilise experimentation and design thinking in order to disrupt conventional systems with solutions. The ministry redefines government work through introducing new systems and behaviours and transforming “the possible” from a concept to a sustainable government approach and culture.
The ministry handles critical national issues that requires quick, bold and effective decisions. It spearheads diverse initiatives and projects, bringing together federal and local governments and private sector teams with common tasks to be shuffled depending on issues presented.
Located in AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers in Dubai, the ministry institutionalises the concept of the impossible to a sustainable government culture, while providing an ideal environment to create effective and efficient solutions.