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 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:
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Read about the previous structures of the UAE Cabinet.
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 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.
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.
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.
Article 60 of the Constitution lays down the powers of the Cabinet. They are:
Apart from the Constitution, the following laws govern the UAE Cabinet:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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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:
Read more about it on the official website of Ministry of Cabinet Affairs
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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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