Dubai greenlights new policy reforms to boost FDI, liveability: Dubai’s Executive Council, chaired by Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed, approved a package of policies covering higher education, career guidance, air quality, dispute resolution, and government construction oversight, according to a Dubai Media Office statement.

Ambitious goals for higher education: A new strategy aims to position Dubai among the world’s top 10 cities for university students by 2033, with international students making up 50% of total enrollments. The higher education sector is projected to contribute AED 5.6 bn to GDP. Plans include reforms to student visas, expanded scholarships, and incentives to attract top 200-ranked global institutions. A parallel career guidance policy targets employment for 90% of Emirati graduates within six months.

Environment and legal reforms are on the table: The Council approved Dubai’s Air Quality Strategy 2030, which seeks to meet clean air standards on 90% of days and cut fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations to 35 micrograms per cubic m. The strategy involves coordination across multiple government entities, including Dubai Municipality, Dewa, RTA, and DP World.

The Dubai International Mediation Center was also approved to offer cost-effective dispute resolution services. The initiative, developed in partnership with Europe’s ADR Center, aims to improve Dubai’s civil justice rankings and attract foreign investment.

Construction oversight framework introduced: A new governance policy will categorize public construction projects by size and cost, aiming to standardize procedures, improve oversight, and better align spending with fiscal priorities. It supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which targets AED 700 bn in government spending over the next decade, up from AED 512 bn over the past 10 years.

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