Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has criticised a culture of mismanagement in parts of the Arab world and said too many of the region's resources are not properly used.
In a series of posts on his official Twitter account on Saturday, Sheikh Mohammed said “we have surplus politicians in the Arab world but we have a lack of administrators".
"We have a crisis of management, not a crisis of resources," he said.
He went on to say that "great accomplishments speak for themselves" while others prefer "empty speeches with meaningless words".
Sheikh Mohammed also cited Japan as a country with limited natural resources but with a strong and efficient economy.
"There are countries rich in oil, gas, water and human capital but lack development and even unable to offer basic services, such as roads and electricity, for their own people," he said, without referring to any states by name.
He also said: "A politician’s true job is to...facilitate people's lives, and solve crises... not create them.”
Sheikh Mohammed often shares his thoughts under the theme of 'life has taught me'.
Last summer, in a post on LinkedIn, he wrote of how "the world waits for no one - those who do not learn and evolve can stumble and often fall".
"Some governments live in the past, many struggle with the present - a few are building the future."
Last week, Sheikh Mohammed publicly criticised 'unacceptable' government employee survey results that showed satisfaction was as low as 60 per cent in five public sector offices.
“These percentages are unacceptable,” he said on Twitter.
“Employee satisfaction is key to customer satisfaction. We are giving the managers of these bodies six months to change the working environment. The government’s most valuable capital is its employees.”
And two years ago, he visited the Land Department and Department of Economic Development for a spot check at the start of the working day to find empty desks when employees should have been working.
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Read more:
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid criticises 'unacceptable' government employee survey results
Red faces as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's morning spot check finds empty desks
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
