Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, witnessed the launch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategy 2027–2029 and honoured the winners of the sixth edition of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Excellence Award during a ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
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Sheikh Abdullah affirmed that, guided by the UAE’s wise leadership and its unwavering support, the country continues to build resolutely on its foreign policy achievements, strengthen its strategic partnerships, promote dialogue in addressing regional and international issues, and harness its capabilities and resources to serve national interests and provide support and care to UAE citizens and residents wherever they may be.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategy 2027–2029 provides a roadmap for the next phase, centred on enhancing future readiness, developing institutional capabilities, and anticipating change. This will enable the Ministry to respond to rapid global developments and turn them into opportunities that advance the UAE’s development and contribute to stability and prosperity for people around the world.
Sheikh Abdullah also commended the Ministry’s teams for their efforts in developing the new strategy and their ability to deliver on the priorities of the next three years through teamwork, shared responsibility, and an approach that combines operational efficiency with the ambition to achieve.
Shaikha Omran Al Shamsi, Director of the Strategy and Future Department, presented the key features of the Ministry’s Strategy 2027–2029.
She explained that its vision seeks to establish a leading global model of diplomacy and international standing, while its mission focuses on advancing the UAE’s foreign policy priorities and mobilising Emirati diplomacy through bilateral and multilateral cooperation to support peace, security, prosperity, and development regionally and globally.
She further explained that the new strategy comprises five main pillars, focusing on strengthening the UAE’s active global role by expanding its economic and political partnerships; harnessing scientific and technological advances to serve national interests; developing services and enhancing their efficiency to meet the aspirations of citizens and residents; strengthening public diplomacy tools; and showcasing the UAE’s values and international presence.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also congratulated the winners of the sixth edition of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Excellence Award.
He noted that the recognition honours their outstanding efforts and contributions and encourages further achievements in support of the Ministry’s ambitions over the next three years. He emphasised the importance of adopting a proactive and innovative approach that delivers significant advances in performance and supports the UAE’s aspirations for leadership across government and diplomatic work.
Sheikh Abdullah also expressed his appreciation for the judging committee’s efforts and wished all winners continued success.
The ceremony honoured 17 diplomatic and consular missions accredited to the UAE from brotherly and friendly countries in recognition of their outstanding cooperation with the Ministry across various areas. These included the embassies of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Senegal, New Zealand, the State of Kuwait, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Commonwealth of Australia, Georgia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the French Republic; the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Bahrain; and the embassies of the State of Qatar and the Hellenic Republic.
The ceremony also recognised 18 Ministry departments under the main award category. The Strategic Communication Department won 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 won 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 won the Outstanding Department awards for both Quality of Life Improvement and Future Readiness. The Policy Planning Department won 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 won 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 the Russian Federation, won 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 won 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 promoted a culture of institutional and individual excellence and encouraged the adoption of best practices by identifying opportunities for enhancement to boost institutional efficiency across the Ministry’s sectors.
The ceremony was attended by Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State; Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State; Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan, Deputy Minister of State; Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister for Advanced Science and Technology; Salem bin Gafan Al Jaberi, Assistant Minister for Military and Security Affairs; Dr. Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister for Medical Affairs and Life Sciences; Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister for Energy and Sustainability; Saif Abdulla Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Protocol Affairs; Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services; Sheikha Hissa bint Sultan Al Nahyan, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs; Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy; Maqsoud Kruse, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism and Terrorism; Razan Al Mubarak, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Nature; and Omar Shehadeh, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Caribbean and Pacific States.