The UAE and Dominican governments launch a package of initiatives to promote government modernization and knowledge exchange

Dubai, June 22 / WAM / The governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Dominican Republic announced the launch of new initiatives and projects, within the UAE government knowledge exchange initiatives, and within the framework of the strategic partnership in the areas of government modernization, in a way that enhances bilateral cooperation in developing government work and improving its efficiency.

The initiatives included the launch of the One Million Programmers Initiative for Artificial Intelligence Orders, the establishment of the Government Accelerators Center for the Dominican Government inspired by the UAE government accelerators model, in addition to the capacity building initiative in the education sector for teachers and students, the launch of specialized programs for capacity building in the customs sector, and the development of a customer satisfaction survey platform with the aim of improving government services, while the participants in the forum discussed the launch of the initiative to zero out bureaucracy in the Dominican Republic.

The announcement of the initiatives came as part of the outcomes of the Government Knowledge Exchange Forum organized by the UAE and Dominican governments, with the aim of exploring horizons of cooperation in strategic sectors and government work, and enhancing knowledge exchange in a way that contributes to developing innovative solutions that support national priorities and keep pace with the aspirations of future governments.

His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, confirmed that the new initiatives and projects that were launched within the forum’s activities reflect the directions of strengthening the strategic partnership with the Dominican government, which enjoys the follow-up and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him,” and His Excellency Louis Abi Nader, President of the Dominican Republic.

His Excellency said that the strategic partnership between the governments of the two friendly countries represents an advanced model in international cooperation aimed at developing and modernizing government work and building a new generation of future governments, stressing the keenness of both sides to continue strengthening and expanding areas of cooperation in various fields, in order to achieve a direct positive impact on the societies of the two countries.

For his part, His Excellency José Ignacio Baleza, Minister of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic, stressed that the progress achieved by the governments of the Dominican Republic and the United Arab Emirates represents the result of sustainable and cooperative work over the past years, which resulted in the signing of a bilateral strategic cooperation agreement and the implementation of a number of knowledge visits to Dominican institutions to the UAE to learn about successful experiences in government administration.

Ignacio Baleza said that the partnership between the two countries is witnessing remarkable development, thanks to the exchange of knowledge between the two governments, and the participation of the Dominican Republic in the World Government Summit, which is being held in Dubai with a delegation headed by His Excellency President Luis Abi Nader.

The UAE delegation participating in the forum included: His Excellency Eng. Mohammed bin Taliah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Government Knowledge Exchange Affairs, His Excellency Khaled Al Harmoudi, Assistant Secretary-General for Support of Cabinet Affairs in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of the UAE Government, His Excellency Hamad Saif Bel Mahayna, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector in the Ministry of Education, Mohammed Al Sharhan, Director of the World Government Summit Foundation, Director of the Government Leadership Department in the Prime Minister’s Office, and Hisham Amiri, Executive Director of Services Development and De-bureaucracy in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Emirati delegation also included Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director of the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Saud Al Aqroubi, Director of the Customs Relations Department at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, Iman Al Suwaidi, Director of the Customs Value Department at Dubai Customs, Saeed Belhoul, Director of the Operations Department in the Digital Government Sector at the Communications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Vice President of Commercial Growth and Business Development at DP World, and a number of government officials and leaders.

A number of senior officials from the Dominican government participated in the forum’s activities, including; His Excellency José Ignacio Baleza, Minister of the Presidency, His Excellency Roberto Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Luis Madera, Deputy Minister of the Presidency, His Excellency Armando Manzueta, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Technology, Her Excellency Hadilyn Matos, Deputy Minister of Corporate Performance Evaluation, Her Excellency Lucía Ines Zurrilla Rodríguez, Deputy Minister of Free Zones and Special Regulations, Her Excellency Paula Desla, Deputy Minister of International Relations, His Excellency Renso Herrera, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the UAE, and His Excellency Hector Porcilla. Dumas, President of the Civil Aviation Council, and Igor Rodriguez Duran, Director General of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute.

His Excellency Engineer Mohammed bin Taliah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Government Knowledge Exchange Affairs, stressed that the knowledge partnership between the governments of the UAE and the Dominican Republic embodies the UAE’s keenness to expand the horizons of cooperation with friendly countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, through the exchange of expertise and successful experiences in vital fields, which contributes to building government models that are more efficient, flexible, and prepared for the future.

He said: “The knowledge exchange sessions formed a practical platform for exploring new opportunities for cooperation, and benefiting from the pioneering UAE experiences in developing government policies, strategic planning and innovation, which contributes to accelerating sustainable development, enhancing the competitiveness of governments, and achieving a tangible positive impact that is reflected in the quality of life of communities.”

The forum witnessed the holding of ministerial dialogues and specialized working sessions to exchange knowledge, expertise and successful experiences, review joint strategic achievements and initiatives, in addition to discussing opportunities to develop joint projects that contribute to achieving a positive and sustainable impact on societies and enhancing the quality of life.

The two sides held a series of specialized working sessions within the government knowledge exchange program, which addressed 10 strategic axes that included economy, customs, education, competitiveness and statistics, aviation, the World Government Summit, government accelerators, laws and legislation, port management and logistics services, government services, as well as digital transformation.

The sessions aimed to review successful government experiences and practices, exchange experiences and knowledge in areas of common interest, and discuss opportunities for developing institutional partnerships and benefiting from leading government models and qualitative initiatives that contributed to enhancing the efficiency of government performance and raising levels of competitiveness.

The discussions also focused on adopting innovative solutions and developing government policies and services to support achieving sustainable development goals and enhance the quality of life and well-being of communities.

It is noteworthy that in June 2025, the UAE government announced a strategic partnership in government modernization with the government of the Dominican Republic, with the aim of exchanging knowledge, expertise and successful experiences in the areas of government modernization.

The partnership witnessed the implementation of a series of workshops and training programs for government leaders, within axes that included government services, capacity building, government performance, government accelerators, and education, in a way that enhances the efforts of the two countries in developing government work and achieving sustainable development.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter