Image: Dubai Media Office
The UAE Ministry of Finance has launched the federal general budget cycle for the 2027–2029 period, reflecting an upgraded approach to financial governance.
The new cycle is designed to enhance fiscal sustainability, support innovation, and strengthen alignment with national development goals.
It coincides with the unveiling of the federal government’s strategic planning cycle, ‘Towards Achieving We the UAE 2031′, and forms part of the UAE’s broader strategy to boost flexibility and integration across federal entities.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, said the budget will now serve as a strategic tool for achieving mega national objectives, such as strengthening global competitiveness, accelerating digital transformation and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global financial hub
He added that achieving the UAE Centennial 2071 goals requires a financial system that is agile, data-driven, and capable of reallocating resources toward high-impact opportunities.
The ministry is investing in smart tools and advanced analytical models to ensure financial efficiency, optimise the impact of public spending, enable data-driven decision-making and these tools aim to improve planning accuracy, execution speed, and the quality of government services.
Focus on key sectors impacting lives of citizens
The 2027–2029 budget will prioritise spending in areas that directly affect citizens and residents, including education, healthcare, social welfare and core government services.
This focus aligns with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision and the evolving needs of society, while promoting sustainable development and institutional excellence.
The ministry highlighted that this cycle builds on four earlier strategic cycles, during which:
- The federal budget reached approximately Dhs900bn
- Public debt was maintained at Dhs62.1bn as of June 2025
- Federal government assets grew to Dhs464.4bn by end-2024
These figures underscore the UAE’s stable fiscal position.
Institutional reforms streamline budgeting process
Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, noted that the new cycle represents a full redesign of the budget experience.
Reforms include reducing budget preparation steps from 50 to 10 and cutting procurement cycles from 60 days to under six minutes
He said the ministry now functions as an enabler, supporting federal entities through a digitised and customer-focused approach to budgeting.
The 2027–2029 cycle adopts a performance-based and results-driven model, key features include the integration of artificial intelligence to create predictive financial scenarios, unified access to high-accuracy data across entities and faster, more effective financial decision-making.
This transformation positions the federal budget as a forward-looking tool for operational efficiency and financial resilience.
Read: Dubai Government approves Dhs246.6bn budget for 2024-2026
