uring the twenty five years since independence in 1971, the UAE has shown what is perhaps the most remarkable growth in its history. In fact, some of the strongest growth has come in the environmental and services sectors; a fact which, according to some estimates, place the country amongst the list of developed nations.

A lot of this growth has to do with the planning processes of the Municipalities in the UAE. Al Shindagah spoke with the Jasem Darwish, the secretary general of the General Secretariat of UAE Municipalities, a key player in these developments, about the organisation's targets and aims.

What is the role of the General Secretariat of Municipalities and what does it do?

The Board of the General Secretariat has a very defined policy. They are primarily directed at establishing essential services to all residents of the country, and then maintaining and preserving these services. It also acts as a centre for information exchange and expertise between the various municipalities. One of the main roles here is to organise meetings between the various heads of technical departments of the various municipalities. These meetings provide a forum where they can exchange ideas and opinions, hold discussions and most importantly, create as much of a unified system in the various services provided by them.

The General Secretariat also forms technical committees in co-operation with the ministries and planning teams. These teams help the municipalities develop future plans aimed at anticipating the social and economic changes that are expected to occur in the Emirates. These committees also look into the daily problems faced by the municipalities and recommend appropriate solutions.

Among the more recent moves by the General secretariat has been the formation of a legal committee to create a uniform code of laws to streamline the rules and regulations used in the various municipalities. This covers everything from construction, advertising, and commercial licenses to analysis and inspection of food and rules related to the industry.

What is the nature of the decisions that you take?

Every decision that we take is made at the executive level. That way they can be implemented quicker and become more responsive.

How do you view the differences in the level of services between the Emirates?

There are always differences between different cities and regions in any country. Each one has its own unique nature and status. Here in the UAE, there is current drive to support every effort at unification, so that everyone throughout the country benefits from the same advances and developments. also, there is a major emphasis from the government's side to close the gaps between the various regions that exist at this time.

The cities in the UAE are witnessing rapid progress in several sectors. How do you prepare the cities to adjust to this?

We are currently in the process of modernising the basic services and enhancing them, so that every resident has access to the most vital services wherever they are. An important factor in this is that we are not modernising merely for the sake of enhancing tourism, although the UAE has developed rapidly in this sector. In many ways, as far as tourism is concerned, the UAE has surpassed some other countries.

With environmental issues being given a major emphasis around the world, how do you deal with this in the UAE?

Unlike many other countries, here in the UAE, we have never caused any damage to the environment. This is already a harsh environment and our primary aim is to make it better and overcome the challenges it poses. The General Secretariat has conducted many afforestation campaigns deep into the desert to minimise desertification. And while we are going through an industrial boom, we are also keeping a very careful eye on health conditions, general safety and hygiene.

As the construction boom continues in the country, what is your opinion about the cultural identity of the country as regards construction?

It is obvious that there is a great interest all over the country in the historical antiquities of the country. Despite the emergence of new shapes and designs, there is still a mix between the modern and Islamic Arab designs. Although we cannot force people to adopt certain shapes and styles in construction, we try as much as possible to encourage a style that reflects our environment and culture.