The UAE Cabinet

The Cabinet of the UAE is the executive branch of the federation. It manages all internal and foreign affairs of the country as per the Constitution and the federal laws. The General Secretariat is handled by the Secretary General of the Cabinet.

The current cabinet

The current cabinet consists of 35 ministers; 9 of whom are women.

The new government will follow the Strategic Approach announced with the new cabinet and the priorities laid in the Principles of the 50 to achieve the objectives of the next phase of the UAE’s developmental journey.

The current UAE Cabinet includes:

H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court
H. H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
H. H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
H. H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs
H. E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence
H. E. Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Cabinet Affairs
H. E. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad Al Owais, Cabinet Member, Minister of Health and Prevention and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs
H. E. Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Cabinet member and Minister of State for Financial Affairs
H. E. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation
H. E. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Cabinet Member and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
H. E. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Cabinet Member and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
H. E. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Defence Affairs
H. E. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education
H. E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member and Minister of Economy
H. E. Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Cabinet Member and Minister of Community Development
H. E. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Cabinet Member and Minister of Climate Change and the Environment
H. E. Dr. Abdulrahman bin Al Abdulmanan Al Awar, Cabinet Member and Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation
H. E. Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Justice
H. E. Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Culture and Youth
H. E. Mohamed Bin Hassan Alsuwaidi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Investment
H. E. Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology
H. E. Abdullah bin Muhair Al Ketbi, Minister of Federal Supreme Council Affairs
H. E. Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State
H. E. Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State
H. E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade
H. E. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future
H. E. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State
H. E. Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications
H. E. Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State
H. E. Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State
H. E. Hamad bin Mubarak Al Shamsi, Minister of State
H. E. Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education
H. E. Maryam Bint Ahmed Al Hammadi, Minister of State, Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet
H. E. Jaber Mohamed Ghanem Alsuwaidi, Minister of State.

Related links

Cabinet members – the UAE Cabinet
Mohammed bin Rashid announces cabinet reshuffle – WAM
President issues Federal Decree renaming Ministry of Presidential Affairs – WAM
Mohammed bin Rashid announces major structural change in educational system – WAM

Read about the previous structures of the UAE Cabinet.

The executive branch

The Cabinet or the Council of Ministers of the United Arab Emirates is the executive branch of the federation. It executes all internal and external affairs of the Federation as per the provisions of UAE Constitution and the federal laws. It works under the supervision of the President and the Federal Supreme Council.

The Cabinet consists of:

the Prime Minister
two Deputy Prime Ministers
the Ministers of the UAE
an active General Secretariat composed of a number of employees to assist it in the conduct of its work.

Brief history

The first Cabinet was led by late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who formed the first government on 9 December 1971 after the UAE was formed.

The second Cabinet was formed in 1973 and the third Cabinet was formed in 1977. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum continued to be the Prime Minister until 1979.

On 30 April 1979, the Supreme Council decided to task H. H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the formation of the fourth Cabinet for the UAE. Then, Sheikh Rashid became the Prime Minister and served that position until the formation of the fifth Cabinet in 1990.

The Cabinet as per the UAE's Constitution

Article 45 of the UAE's Constitution provides that the Cabinet or the Council of Ministers is the third of five federal authorities.

Articles 55 to 67 in section three of the Constitution outline the establishment, eligibility, jurisdiction and competence of the Cabinet.

Appointment of the Cabinet

According to Article 54 of the UAE's Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministers.

The Prime Minister and the Ministers shall be collectively responsible before the President of the Federation and the Supreme Council of the Union for executing the general policy of the Federal Government internally and externally.

Each of them shall be personally responsible to the President of the Federation and the Supreme Council for the activities of his/her Ministry or post.

Responsibilities

Article 60 of the Constitution lays down the powers of the Cabinet. They are:

Implementing of the general policy of the Federal Government, both domestic and foreign
Drafting federal laws and submitting them to the Federal National Council before they are raised to the President of the Federation for presentation to the Supreme Council for approval
Drawing up the annual general budget of the Federation, and the final accounts
Preparing drafts of decrees and various decisions
Issuing regulations necessary for the implementation of federal laws without amending or suspending such laws or making any exemption from their execution; issuing regulations related to the organisation of public services and administrations within the limits of the Constitution and federal laws. By special law provision or by decision of the Council of Ministers, the competent Federal Minister or any other administrative authority may be charged to issue some of these regulations
Supervising the implementation of laws, decrees, decisions and regulations at the federal and local level
Supervising the execution of judgements delivered by federal courts and the implementation of international treaties and agreements concluded by the federation
Appointing and dismissing federal public servants in accordance with the provisions of the law, provided that their appointment and dismissal do not require the issue of a decree
Controlling the conduct of work in federal departments and the conduct and discipline of public servants in general
Any other authority vested in it by law or by the Supreme Council within the limits of this Constitution.

Laws governing the UAE's Cabinet

Apart from the Constitution, the following laws govern the UAE Cabinet:

Federal Law No. 16 of 2009 on the Determination of the Pays of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers
Federal Law No. 14 of 1974 on the Pensions and Retirement Benefits of Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministers
Federal Law No. 9 of 1982 on the amendment of certain provisions of the Law No. 14 of 1974
Federal Decree - Law No. 11 of 2007 on the Regulation and Determination of the Jurisdictions of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet.

The Prime Minster

The current Prime Minister

H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the current Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE. He is also Ruler of Dubai. In the UAE, the post of the Prime Minster is a constitutional one. Articles 51 to 67 of the UAE's Constitution lay down the provisions relating to this post.

Prime Minister as per the UAE's Constitution

Appointment and resignation of the Prime Minister

According to Articles 47 and 54 of the UAE's Constitution, the appointment and acceptance of the resignation of the Prime Minister lies within the powers of the President of the UAE although with the consent of the Supreme Council.

Roles and responsibilities of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of the UAE assumes the following roles and responsibilities, as per the Constitution:

To call a session of the Supreme Council to elect a new President and Vice-President (Article 53)
To be a part of the Cabinet also called as Council of Ministers (Article 55)
To preside over the meetings of the Cabinet, call it into session, direct its debates, follow up the activities of the ministers and supervise the coordination of work between the various ministries and in all executive bodies of the Federation (Article 59)
To be jointly responsible along with all the ministers before the President and the Supreme Council for execution of the general policy of the Federal Government inside and outside the UAE (Article 64)
To represent the Federal Government at the sessions of the Federal National Council (Article 93).

Key bodies assisting the Cabinet

The General Secretariat of the Cabinet

According to Article 66 of the Constitution, the Cabinet shall establish a General Secretariat composed of an appropriate number of employees to assist in the conduct of its business.

The General Secretariat serves as a support unit to Ministry of Cabinet Affairs. Its mandate includes:

preparing the Cabinet's agenda and arranging its meetings
drafting the Cabinet's resolutions and following up on them
providing legal, administrative and technical support on the issues presented to the Cabinet.

Read more about the roles and functions of the General Secretariat.

Prime Minister's Office (PMO)

The Prime Minister's Office provides support and consultation to the Prime Minister, the UAE Cabinet and Minister of Cabinet Affairs, assisting them in the decision making process.

Read more about the roles and functions of the Prime Minister's Office.

The Ministerial Development Council

The Ministerial Development Council, known before as the Ministerial Council for Services, was renamed after UAE Cabinet endorsed its restructuring.

The Council is mandated with many responsibilities such as implementing general policy of the government and taking the right decisions to improve the level of services provided to UAE nationals.

Read more about the roles and functions of the Ministerial Development Council.

Other assisting bodies

There are a number of permanent committees and councils that assist the work and function of the Cabinet in various areas of government work.

Cabinet retreats

Since the time Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid took office as Prime Minister, he started organising informal retreats for the Cabinet. There, the ministers discuss important national issues and organise brainstorming sessions in an environment free of formal restrictions. The first Cabinet Retreat was held in 2007 at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort in Dubai.

Retreat to discuss the post-oil phase

This retreat took place in 2016 at Bab Al Shams Resort in Dubai, where the Cabinet discussed the post-oil phase.

Federal and local government officials took part in the retreat and discussed ideas and initiatives that could contribute in diversifying the UAE's economy and ensuring its sustainability. Discussions included the current state of the UAE's economy, opportunities for the development of the vital non-oil sectors in the UAE, future scenarios for the UAE economy that could be adopted by the government to make a quantum leap in achieving positive changes in various sectors, as well as the significance of developing national talents to lead these sectors.

At the end of the retreat, H. H. Sheikh Mohamed gave instructions to launch the UAE Post-Oil Strategy in the coming weeks. The strategy will include ideas and initiatives concluded in the retreat. It will work to strengthen the competitiveness of the current economic sectors, as well as gradually introduce new sectors, which will achieve a quantum leap in the UAE's economy, boost competitiveness and ensure its sustainability in accordance with the highest international standards.

Useful links:

The UAE Retreat on Post-Oil - Ministry of Cabinet Affairs
UAE Cabinet Retreat on Post-Oil Phase concludes - WAM.

Ministry of Cabinet Affairs

Ministry of Cabinet Affairs was established in 2006, upon the nomination of H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid as the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The main role of the ministry is to provide support to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the Ministerial Council for Services, and all the established committees and ministerial councils. The ministry carries out its functions through the General Secretariat of the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's Office under the ministry's umbrella.

Key duties of the ministry

The ministry studies the issues and projects assigned to it by the Prime Minister or the Cabinet and follows up on related resolutions and directives. It also monitors government performance and contributes to its improvement and raises the quality of government services and the communication systems of the federal entities.

In addition, the ministry leads excellence efforts at the Federal Government, through research and studies relevant to the Federal Government strategy and vision. It also sets the frameworks and mandates of the Federal entities, and put up the appropriate recommendations to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Shaping the future

Ministry of Cabinet Affairs is mandated with the portfolio of the future of UAE by:

developing a strategy that ensures readiness of all sectors for the future's variables
employing tools to shape the future
forecasting opportunities, trends, challenges and future implications
analysing their impact, developing innovative solutions and alternatives
building capacity for the future and long-term planning capabilities
administering the post-oil portfolio
emphasising on the advanced industries and scientific research for a better future for tomorrow's generations.

Read more about it on the official website of Ministry of Cabinet Affairs

Related links:

Future foresight
Areas of focus
Scenario Planning Toolkit (PDF)
Publications
UAE Cabinet Manual (PDF in Arabic, 700KB)

The Cabinet's deliberations

The Cabinet holds a regular meeting once a week. The Prime Minister may call for an exceptional meeting, whenever it deems necessary or upon the request of any minister.

Attending the Cabinet sessions is restricted to its members and Secretary General.

A valid Cabinet meeting requires the attendance of majority of the members.

Article 61 of the Constitution provides: The deliberation of the Cabinet shall be secret, and its decisions shall be taken by majority vote of members. In case of even votes, the side on which the Prime Minister has voted shall prevail.

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