UAE Public Policy Forum calls for national private public partnerships strategy

In its final recommendations and key takeaways, the 2nd UAE Public Policy Forum has called for developing a national strategy for public-private partnerships, PPPs, that act as a roadmap for the collaboration between the government and the private sector at the national level.

The two-day Forum was organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, MBRSG, the first research and teaching institution focusing on governance and public policy in the Arab world, and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

The recommendations were announced during a press conference on day two of the Forum, where MBRSG and Haykal Media signed an agreement to launch the Dubai Policy Review, a periodical journal that seeks to maximise visibility of MBRSG’s research, widen its audience and expand its impact on public policy on a local, regional and global levels.

Speaking at the conference, MBRSG’s Executive Director, Dr. Ali Sebaa Al Marri, said, "The UAE Public Policy Forum has attracted a host of high-profile experts, academics and decision makers from around the world to Dubai today, to discuss developments, explore challenges and opportunities and issue recommendations for building strong, effective partnerships between the public and private sectors for the benefit of both parties and the best interest of society."

"The call to develop a national strategy and federal law for PPPs, as well as to create legislative frameworks in the UAE to elevate the relationship between the two parties and widen its scope, will ultimately strengthen the UAE’s position as a regional and global hub for PPPs and a role model for the government of the future," Dr. Al Marri added.

Experts and panelists at the forum called for developing a national UAE PPP strategy; establishing a PPP Knowledge Centre; creating a sub-national, local, PPP government unit; developing a national PPP regulatory framework and law; and ensuring transparency in the PPP ecosystem; in addition to taking all necessary measures to ensure transparency in PPPs.