UAE unrivalled in its pace of economic development

Saudi parliamentarians, political experts and businesswomen paid tribute to the UAE for establishing political stability over the last four decades while balancing regional and international relations in a manner that has allowed the country to play a pivotal role in the Middle East and on the world stage.In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, they pointed to the giant achievements the country is witnessing under the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which they said complemented the unprecedented success which started under late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.Dr Bandar Hajar, deputy chairman of the Saudi Shura Council, said the UAE began with a strong determination shown by its leadership and people in promoting the nation's development. He said the UAE had embarked on infrastructure projects with a pace that had surpassed that of many countries in a short period of time."Thanks to its wise leadership, the UAE was ranked within a few years [among top nations in the fields of] development, the economy, health, education as it harnessed all [its] potentials to become the focus of attention of the world and a centre for the attraction of investment from all over the world," Dr Hajar said.Nadia Al Dossary, a Saudi businesswoman and chief executive officer and partner of Al Sale Eastern Company Limited, said the UAE had been proven as superior in the GCC in terms of transparency and modern information systems.Nadia said the nation's application of projects was the fastest and most cost-effective when compared to other GCC states."Neutral observers cannot but get fascinated by it all," she said. Nadia, who is classified among the top 25 Arab businesswomen, added: "Those who follow the UAE's economic policies must be astonished to see the clear and specific direction and, above all, the pre-planning of the national projects.""One of the most important achievements that far exceeds anything in my opinion is a comprehensive view of the infrastructure at all levels, whether transport or services or construction and technical," she said.Nadia lauded the UAE's drive to empower women."We see the participation of Emirati women at all levels, including [in] the Ministry of Defence. They have become jet fighter pilots, ministers and partners in nation building," she said.Mufleh Al Qah'tani, president of the Saudi Human Rights Society, said that the UAE stands at the crossroads where it can afford to look back and assess what it has achieved over the last four decades and what it failed to accomplish during the same periodAl Qah'tani said the UAE will likely evaluate its contribution to the GCC, Arab League and international community, while looking to the future. Dr Sultan Al Thaqafi, a Saudi political analyst, said that the UAE had succeeded over the last 40 years, thanks to moderate and balanced policies and the establishment of relations with developed countries in the political, economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, technical, educational and health fields.