The value of spending of UAE federal authorities increased to around Dh10.44 billion ($2.84 billion) during the first quarter of 2018, a surge of 17 per cent compared to Dh8.92 billion during the same period in 2017, a media report said.

The level of commitment to implementing the budget reached 100 per cent during the first quarter of 2018, with public sector spending accounting for the largest proportion of government spending during the first three months of the year, reaching around Dh3.277 billion, or 31.4 per cent of total spending, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing a financial performance report on the country’s budget issued by the Ministry of Finance.

Ministry statistics revealed spending on public services during the first quarter of 2018 grew by 2.9 per cent compared to 2017.

Public order and general safety spending reached Dh2.346 billion during the first three months of 2018, accounting for 22.5 per cent of total spending.

As for public services, public order and Islamic affairs, spending reached around Dh5.62 billion, accounting for 53.8 per cent of the total spending of governmental authorities during the same period.

Spending on the education sector totalled Dh1.344 billion, an increase of 3.6 per cent compared to Dh1.293 billion during the first quarter of 2017.

Health sector spending reached Dh766 million, accounting for 7.3 per cent of total spending while spending on the social protection sector reached Dh777 million.

Spending on economic affairs reached Dh244 million, or 2.3 per cent of the total spending while spending the housing and community facilities sector totalled Dh99.1 million, or 0.9 per cent, and Dh49 million was spent on the environment protection sector, or 0.5 per cent, and Dh31.8 million was spent on the entertainment, culture and religion sector, or 0.3 per cent of total spending.

The ministry aims to provide analytical financial statistics about the performance of federal authorities, according to the best international practices, in light of its commitment to achieving the highest levels of transparency and based on the provisions of articles 9 and 50 of the decree of Federal Law No.8 for 2011, which relates to the rules for drafting the general budget and final account and the rules regulating public spending, collection of proceeds and submitting regular reports to the UAE Cabinet on the implementation of the budget.