The royal breaks bread with teens as he promises the government have their best interests at heart.

We sure wish H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE, had been around when we were in high school.

Because this is one canteen lunch we’d actually have enjoyed.

The royal invited students from Ras Al Khaimah’s Fatima bint Mubarak School into an official cabinet meeting on Sunday, giving them a first-hand experience of what government work entails.

sheikh mohammed

Only the top-achieving pupils were rewarded with an invite, marking the first time members of the public have attended such a session since the cabinet’s last reshuffle.

It’s a real contender for Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, in our eyes.

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Sheikh Mohammed shared images of the meeting on his Twitter page, saying that the students’ presence “reminded us of our commitment to build for them”.

“Their focus on scientific excellence is our nation’s future,” he wrote.

During the meeting, the ruler told the teens everyone has a duty to fulfil, and their job “is to excel in your studies”.

“I invited you to join us to see how the cabinet is acting as one team dedicated to building the future of the sons and daughters of the UAE. All the cabinet members you are watching here are working to serve to serve you and your brothers and to create conditions through which you can realise your aspirations and dreams,” he said.

“We are working to serve you and we want you to work for yourselves. Focus on your studies and preserve the achievements of the nation.”

sheikh mohammed

Hhey, if anyone’s could talk us into revising for a test rather than catching up on Netflix, it’s Sheikh Mohammed.

The leader also broke bread (well, a croissant) with the students, joining one lucky table for a snack, some juice, and what looks like an entertaining conversation.

sheikh mohammed

What was the meeting actually about?

The main topic of discussion was The National Agenda 2021, which is basically Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for the future of the UAE (you can read more about it here).

The agenda exists of 52 separate targets in the sectors of education, health, residence, community, infrastructure, economy, environment, security, judicial and safety – “goals we have set to ensure the happiness of our people”, the royal said.

The meeting approved the launch of 36 teams comprised of 550 government officials to ensure the targets are achieved before 2021.

“Over the recent years, the government has accomplished significant achievements, taken giant strides forward and gained high international rankings,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

HH Sheikh Mohammed

“However, not all members of the cabinet were moving with same speed. We are always looking ahead and never resting on our laurels because our educated, loyal and specialised cadres remain our true achievements.

“We will focus on these objectives as a priority and a goal of the government work.”

The ruler also gave the green light to release of government performance reports on the national agenda, to “promote transparency and accountability”.

The cabinet also approved an agreement with the UAE “to cooperate in the peaceful exploration of space technologies,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

It sounds like there’s going to plenty of exciting changes ahead… as always, we’ll keep you posted.

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Images: mediaoffice.ae