Dubai: H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, approved a set of policies and strategic models to enhance urban planning, housing, and digitalisation during a meeting of The Executive Council.

In line with the Year of the Family announced by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Dubai Social Agenda 33 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, under the slogan ‘Family: The Foundation of Our Nation,’ the initiatives include a new planning model for residential areas that prioritises citizen welfare and family empowerment in Dubai’s urban development alongside the Digital Resilience Policy and the general plan for The Executive Council’s Agenda for 2026.

The meeting, held at Emirates Towers, was attended by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan affirmed that Dubai is advancing on an integrated development path that prioritises its people and strengthens its position as a global model in urban and social planning, ensuring sustainable welfare for individuals, families and society at large.

He said, “Guided by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, citizen welfare and family empowerment form the foundation of Dubai’s future plans, driving efforts to make it the best, most beautiful, and most advanced city in the world. This model focuses on creating socially interconnected, service-integrated communities that enhance quality of life through homes, neighbourhoods, parks, schools, and their service centres.”

Sheikh Hamdan emphasised the importance of strengthening resilience and proactive standards to ensure that the emirate’s digital and service infrastructure can respond to transformation and challenges along the way. “We have one of the most advanced digital infrastructures in the world. To fulfil the objectives of the Dubai Digital Strategy launched in 2023 – digitalising life in Dubai, strengthening the digital economy, and empowering society – we continue to develop a robust digital government model and maintain the continuity and efficiency of digital services. The Digital Resilience Policy has been approved as a key tool to enhance digital leadership in a comprehensive and proactive way,” he said.

His Highness also approved the general plan for The Executive Council’s 2026 Agenda, which focuses on achieving the priorities and targets of the Dubai Plan 2033 through its economic and social agendas.

Anchored in sustainability

In line with the Year of the Family objectives and Dubai Social Agenda 33, The Executive Council approved the new planning model for citizens' residential areas – a pioneering framework for future neighbourhoods that promotes sustainable living and enhances quality of life and social stability.

The new model introduces an innovative planning concept to align housing needs to the highest standards, enhance citizen and family welfare, and support the Dubai Urban Plan 2040. It focuses on creating vibrant, integrated, and socially interconnected communities that reinforce the concept of the Fareej (traditional community cluster) and its internal social cohesion.

The model promotes active mobility through shaded walkways connecting service centres to residential areas and dedicated paths for walking, running, and cycling to encourage healthy lifestyles. It also activates the role of open spaces by transforming parks and squares into interactive hubs for social and cultural activities, fostering community initiatives and a lively, participatory environment.

The project aims to make residential areas more attractive and strengthen residents’ sense of comfort and belonging through vibrant environments that encourage interaction and satisfaction.

The plans also include the addition of 152 parks across Madinat Latifa and Al Yalayis, with a maximum walking distance of 150 metres to the nearest park. Over 33 kilometres of cycling paths will be added, along with central parks featuring diverse activities and facilities. Community majlis and wedding halls will also be built.

This project supports the 20-Minute City concept and introduces community parks as an interconnected network of central green spaces.

In Madinat Latifa, the model allocates around 11% of the area to green and open spaces, with 12 kilometres of interconnected walking and cycling paths. It also provides for comprehensive services, including schools, early childhood centres, mosques, health clinics, and commercial hubs. Plans outlined for the area envisage facilities encompassing 3,000 hectares, housing 141,000 people, and including 18,500 residential units and 77 parks.

In Al Yalayis, the model introduces a vibrant green corridor linking residential areas and offering recreational, service, and commercial facilities, creating an integrated living environment that promotes quality of life and sustainability. The plans provide for facilities spread over 1,108 hectares with the capacity to house 66,000 people, including 8,000 residential unit plots and 75 parks.

The Executive Council also approved the Digital Resilience Policy – a comprehensive, proactive framework to strengthen digital resilience and enable a thriving digital government, economy and society.

The policy aligns with the Dubai Resilience Strategy and complements the Digital Transformation Strategy aimed at simplifying people’s lives and strengthening the digital economy using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Compliance with the policy will ensure continuity of digital services, strengthen protection for systems and digital infrastructure, safeguard vital digital assets, and improve leadership dashboard indicators.

The policy is built on a comprehensive methodology that strengthens preparedness, response, recovery, and transformation. It ensures smooth digital operations, reduces response time, and optimises availability of critical infrastructure, while maintaining public confidence and fostering private sector cooperation. It also introduces structured communication mechanisms, a governance framework, and key performance indicators for initiatives to boost resilience.

The digital resilience policy also emphasises the importance of coordinated efforts between public and private sectors to safeguard all critical digital assets, such as data centres, networks, cloud platforms, and user devices. By promoting seamless collaboration and swift incident response, it underlines Dubai’s dedication to maintaining uninterrupted digital services and fostering enduring public trust in the digital landscape.

The Executive Council also reviewed the achievements of the 2025 agenda and approved the 2026 plan, which focuses on implementing Dubai Plan 2033 priorities through economic and social agendas, and the supporting plans. It covers sectors including social development, infrastructure, economy and investment, entrepreneurship, security, justice and safety, and public services.