News DeskDubai: Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, chaired the third meeting of the UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work in 2024.
The meeting addressed the role of municipalities across all emirates in implementing the objectives of the national programme, ‘Plant the Emirates’ in the upcoming period. Additionally, the Council reviewed strategies to promote sustainable communities, focusing on several key issues.
The meeting is part of ongoing coordination and oversight of the efforts of municipalities and relevant authorities across the country. It aims to address all matters related to the implementation of environmental projects and initiatives, with the goal of achieving sustainable economic and social development in the UAE.
During the meeting, Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak said: “This meeting takes place at an opportune time, following the launch of the national programme ‘Plant the Emirates’ by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, along with the integrated campaign that accompanies it. Additionally, the recent announcement of the ‘National Agricultural Centre’ marks a significant milestone in the UAE’s efforts to strengthen sustainable food security by boosting local production of various strategic crops and agricultural products.”
Her Excellency added: “The national efforts to promote agriculture will be integrated across all levels, with the active involvement of relevant state agencies, the private sector, and society as a whole. Municipalities will play a fundamental role in this initiative, due to their responsibilities in supervising farms and supporting citizen farmers and local agricultural enterprises throughout the UAE. The Council will have a significant responsibility in guiding and sustaining these efforts for years to come.”
Her Excellency concluded: “Despite the wide range of issues and responsibilities we face, together we can achieve more and surpass the expectations of our wise leadership in enhancing the role of municipalities in the UAE’s quest to establish more sustainable communities. Furthermore, these communities can become key contributors to the nation’s progress, with the active participation of every member of society.”
Discussions
The third meeting of the UAE Council for Environmental and Municipal Work reviewed the details of the national programme ‘Plant the Emirates’ and the role of municipalities in enhancing the programme in partnership with federal entities and the private sector, as well as their contribution to engaging community members in upcoming events and initiatives.
Additionally, the meeting discussed the recommendations from the previous meeting regarding the Unified Municipal Guides 2024, updates on the UAE Integrated Waste Management Agenda 2023-2026, the National Mosquito Control Program, The National Air Quality Agenda 2030, and the requirements for coordination efforts at Gulf level, including the Ministry’s participation in the Gulf Municipal Works Conference scheduled for this month in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the review of the Gulf Building Code guidelines adopted in 2023.
The meeting also discussed the outcomes of the Ministry’s participation in the 12th Gulf Municipal Works Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as participation in the Bahrain International Garden Show 2025. Furthermore, the meeting discussed the Ministry’s involvement in the ministerial meeting of the Middle East Green Initiative, which was launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the first summit of the initiative held in Riyadh in 2021, aiming to create a platform for enhancing regional cooperation in areas such as combating land degradation, preserving vegetation cover, and encouraging international support for regional efforts.
The meeting examined updates on the “Ne’ma” national initiative to reduce food loss and waste, national preparedness to support capabilities and resources against environmental risks, and the latest developments concerning national targets for managing solid waste.
The meeting was attended by His Excellency Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the MOCCAE; Her Excellency Eng. Alia Abdul Rahim Al Harmoudi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector at MOCCAE; and His Excellency Ahmed Mohamed Al Kaabi, Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Water and Future Energy at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
The meeting was also attended by His Excellency Eng. Dawood AlHajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality; His Excellency Major General Pilot Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director-General of the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority; His Excellency Dr. Saif Al Ghais, Director General of the Environment Protection and Development Authority in Ras Al Khaimah; Her Excellency Asila Abdullah Al Mualla, Director of the Fujairah Environment Authority; His Excellency Dr. Salem Khalfan Al Kaabi, the Director General of Operational Affairs at the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi; and Salama Alawadhi, Director of National in Country Value (ICV), Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).
