February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

Forward Society is the first of four national priorities (pillars) within the We the UAE 2031 national vision. It establishes the framework for an integrated social system that empowers and unleashes the potential of Emiratis, protects cultural heritage, and instills national identity and human values.

Four Focus Areas

The Forward Society pillar is structured around four focus areas, each with specific sub-objectives:

A socially empowering ecosystem that unlocks individual capabilities. This encompasses individuals contributing effectively to national prosperity, families with strong and lasting bonds, and a diverse society where everyone feels at home.

A nation, proud of its identity, that supports the prosperity of its citizens. This focuses on preserving Emirati national identity, culture, and unwavering values in the context of a rapidly changing environment.

A cutting-edge education catering for lifelong learners. Objectives include delivering the best first five years of education, personalised education for everyone, and lifelong learning and growth for all generations.

An innovative, state-of-the-art healthcare system. This targets high-quality healthcare services available to everyone, a future-ready healthcare system, and positioning the UAE as a global destination for specialised care.

Key KPIs

The Forward Society pillar is measured through targets including the Education Quality Index (target: Top 10 globally), Healthcare Quality Index (target: Top 15), and the Happiness Index (target: 7.5/10).