The UAE will set up the world’s first government accelerators to achieve the the country's National Agenda 2021, it was decided at an extraordinary cabinet meeting yesterday (October 17), state news agency Wam said.

The meeting was chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

"We instructed the setting up of the world’s first government accelerators to speed up work towards the realisation of the national agenda. We want to intensify efforts and accelerate our strides towards the future. Many challenges lie ahead, and time is the biggest challenge. There are only five years to go," Sheikh Mohammad said after the meeting, during which a plan to deliver National Agenda goals was approved.

Sheikh Mohammad also gave directives to immediately set up joint work teams comprising the federal, local and private sectors and to seek assistance from highly qualified and experienced cadres to ensure quick results, Wam said.

"We need to achieve the goals of the national agenda and make our country one of the best in the world, and our people the happiest. This requires us to work as one team on both federal and local levels to ensure immediate and tangible results," Sheikh Mohammad said.

"Under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE is moving steadily and rapidly towards the future, based on a clear vision to ensure the happiness of its citizens and achieve global leadership, while pursuing an approach to realise their ambitions in all vital sectors," Sheikh Mohammad said.

"The National Agenda 2021 sums up government work and shortens the goals, which we set to make our people happy. We will focus on these objectives as a priority and a goal of government work," he added.

The national agenda aims to mobilise efforts and all potential to accelerate government work over the next period to reach 100 per cent of the goals by 2021.

Sheikh Mohammed underlined the importance of the crucial role of leaders in encouraging work teams, and noted that there will be no tolerance for procrastinators. "We need quick and tangible results in all fields that affect our people’s lives and make them happy."