UAE Innovation Month Kicks Off

UAE Innovation Month, the largest national initiative to celebrate innovative and creative thinkers, kicks off on Thursday, 1st February.

Under the directives of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the month-long event covers all Emirates and regions of the country, focusing on a different emirate every week – with some emirates set to be covered simultaneously. Some 100 activities are on the initiative’s agenda and will be organised by the Executive Councils in each of the seven Emirates, in addition to hundreds of other events across the country.

Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future and Chairman of the Science Technology and Innovation Higher Committee, asserted that UAE Innovation Month is an embodiment of the UAE leadership’s vision and clear directives to transform the country into an open global laboratory to experiment with avant-garde policies and programmes.

“The UAE Government has successfully established innovation as a work ethic,” said Al Gergawi, adding that the country is now embarking on a new phase that focuses on results and empowering individuals.

“UAE Innovation Month is the fruit of the complementarity, synergy and collaboration between the Federal Government, the Executive Councils of the Emirates, private-sector companies, and various academic and social institutions,” the Minister explained. “This makes it the largest national event of its kind in the UAE, underlining innovation’s pivotal role in forecasting and building the future,” he concluded.

UAE Innovation Month is set to open in Abu Dhabi, where a series of events will mark the first week of the initiative on 1st to 7th February. The event continues with its second week – 8th to 14th February – in Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah simultaneously, before moving on to Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Qaiwain on 15th-21st February. UAE Innovation Month finally concludes its events in Dubai on 22nd-28th February 2018.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued directives to expand UAE Innovation Week, launching the first UAE Innovation Month following the success of the second edition of the UAE Innovation Week in November 2016.

UAE Innovation Month reflects the UAE leadership’s directives to establish innovation as a work ethic and way of life. Federal Government agencies, private-sector companies, academic institutions, local entrepreneurs, and members of the wider community in all its segments have shown great enthusiasm and active involvement in the month-long national event.