Abdullah bin Zayed unveils UAE foreign ministry strategy for 2027-2029, honours excellence award winners

Sheikh Abdullah stated that, under the guidance and steadfast backing of the UAE’s leadership, the country is consistently strengthening its foreign policy successes, deepening strategic alliances, encouraging dialogue on regional and global challenges, and deploying its capabilities and resources to serve national interests while supporting citizens and residents wherever they are.

New strategy as a roadmap

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategy 2027-2029 offers a blueprint for the coming phase, with a focus on improving future readiness, building institutional capacities and anticipating change. This approach, he said, will allow the ministry to react to rapid global developments and convert them into opportunities that further the UAE’s development and contribute to global stability and prosperity.

Sheikh Abdullah praised the ministry’s teams for their work in crafting the strategy and for their capacity to achieve the priorities of the next three years through collaboration, shared responsibility and a blend of operational efficiency and ambition.

Shaikha Omran Al Shamsi, Director of the Strategy and Future Department, outlined the main elements of the Strategy 2027-2029. She explained that its vision aims to create a leading global model of diplomacy and international stature, while its mission is to advance the UAE’s foreign policy priorities and mobilise Emirati diplomacy through bilateral and multilateral cooperation to support peace, security, prosperity and development regionally and worldwide.

The strategy rests on five core pillars, she said: reinforcing the UAE’s active global role by broadening economic and political partnerships; leveraging scientific and technological progress for national interests; improving services and their efficiency to meet the expectations of citizens and residents; strengthening public diplomacy tools; and promoting the UAE’s values and international presence.

Excellence award winners celebrated

Sheikh Abdullah also congratulated the winners of the sixth Minister of Foreign Affairs Excellence Award. He noted that the recognition commends their exceptional efforts and contributions and motivates further achievements in line with the ministry’s ambitions over the next three years. He stressed the importance of adopting a proactive and innovative approach that brings substantial improvements in performance and supports the UAE’s aspirations for leadership in government and diplomatic work.

He thanked the judging committee for its work and wished all winners continued success.

During the ceremony, 17 diplomatic and consular missions accredited to the UAE from friendly and brotherly countries were honoured for their outstanding cooperation with the ministry in various fields. These included the embassies of Costa Rica, Bahrain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Senegal, New Zealand, Kuwait, The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Australia, Georgia, Jordan, France, as well as the Consulate General of Bahrain, and the embassies of Qatar and Greece.

Award categories and recipients

Eighteen ministry departments were recognised in the main award category. The Strategic Communication Department received the Outstanding Department in Political and Specialised Affairs award, the Consular Services Department won the Outstanding Department in Service Delivery award, and the Digital Transformation Department earned the Outstanding Department in Support Services award.

In the Outstanding Diplomatic Mission category, the winners were the UAE embassies in Bangkok, Tunis and Beirut, and the UAE Consulate General in Shanghai. The Best Mission in Serving Citizens and Residents Abroad awards went to the UAE embassies in Muscat, Riyadh and Kathmandu, and the UAE Consulate General in Mumbai.

The Consular Services Department claimed Outstanding Department awards for both Quality of Life Improvement and Future Readiness. The Policy Planning Department received the Outstanding Department award for Strategic Direction and Competitiveness, while the Security Affairs Department won the award for Resources and Assets.

The UAE Nationals Affairs Department secured the Outstanding Department award for Data and Knowledge Management, and both the Policy Planning Department and the Consular Services Department won in the Partnership and Integration category.

In the medal categories, Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi won the Outstanding Leader award for his former role as Assistant Minister for Development and International Organisations. Dr Mohammed Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Russia, received the Outstanding Head of Mission award.

Mohammed Ahmed Al Mansoori, Deputy Director of the Consular Services Department, won the Outstanding Supervisory Employee award at the Department Director and Deputy Director level. Saeed Hamad Al Ghafli won the Outstanding Supervisory Employee award at the Section Head level for his former role as Head of the Economic Affairs Section at the UAE Embassy in Beijing.

Khalid Waleed Al Hashmi won the Outstanding Diplomatic Employee award for his former role as Country Desk Specialist in the Asian and Pacific Affairs Department. Engineer Amani Abdullah Al Naqbi received the Outstanding Specialised Employee award for her former role as Contracts Specialist in the Contracts and Procurement Department.

Fahad Saeed Al Zarooni won the Outstanding Young Employee award for his former role as Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement Specialist in the Strategy and Future Department.

Maryam Eissa Al Zarooni won the Outstanding Customer Happiness Employee award for her former role as Attestation and Public Services Specialist in the Consular Services Department. Finally, Mayed AlMer, a scholarship student at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, won the Outstanding Scholarship Student award.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Excellence Award draws on the criteria of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award across its various categories. Since its launch in 2014, it has encouraged a culture of institutional and individual excellence and promoted the adoption of best practices by identifying areas for improvement to enhance institutional efficiency across the ministry’s sectors.