UAE delegation meets senior OECD officials in Paris to discuss future cooperation.

The UAE government delegation recently met with Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the OECD headquarters in Paris. The purpose of the meeting was to explore opportunities for enhancing future bilateral cooperation and to discuss the adoption of the UAE’s successful experiences and best practices as global standards for OECD member states.
The main objectives of the visit were to strengthen and consolidate the collaboration between the UAE government and the OECD, showcase successful UAE government work models and experiences, and share them with OECD member countries.
Furthermore, the UAE government delegation extended an invitation to the OECD Secretary-General to participate in the upcoming World Government Summit meetings, scheduled to take place in February 2025 in Dubai, in the presence of world leaders, ministers, government officials, and experts.
The delegation presented various government initiatives and experiences to the Deputy Director-General and other senior officials of the OECD. These initiatives included the “We the UAE 2031” vision, best government practices in legislative transformation, economic priorities and partnerships, government innovation, the development of integrated, smart and digital government services, and the zero government bureaucracy program, among other key government initiatives, programs, and projects.
The UAE delegation members included Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs; Khalid Al Harmoodi, Deputy Secretary-General for Cabinet Affairs Support in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet; Maria Hanif Qasim, Deputy Under-Secretary for the Policy and Economic Studies Sector at the Ministry of Economy; Salim Al Shaami, Executive Director of Government Services at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs; Hesham Amiri, Government Services Adviser at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Ruqayya Al Blooshi, Executive Director for International at the Prime Minister's Office.
Huda Al Hashimi emphasized that the collaboration between the UAE government and the OECD aligns with the UAE government’s interactive approach to establish partnerships for advancing development enablers such as agile governance, technology, digital transformation, AI, and zero bureaucracy. These initiatives are aimed at accelerating the development of government work, promoting innovation, streamlining procedures, enhancing community participation, improving services, fostering entrepreneurship, and adopting the best global government practices.
During the visit, the delegation held fruitful meetings with senior officials from various sectors within the OECD, including those responsible for innovative, digital, and open governance, policy advice and implementation, as well as representatives from other key divisions within the organization.