Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, met the country's highest-performing high school pupils on Tuesday.
A reception was held at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi where 60 male and female pupils also met Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
The pupils were received at the beginning of a cabinet meeting where the country's efforts on food security were also discussed, along with reviewing the achievements report of the Emirates Research and Development Council.
“We congratulate you on this excellence and we congratulate your families and teachers for their great efforts,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
“You are models that we are proud of for young people who are capable of creating excellence in their future and the future of the country.
“This excellence is a beacon for you and for young people like you, through which you can be guided on the path to achieving greater excellence in various stages of life.”
Food security
On food security, Sheikh Mohammed said: “We reviewed a report on the achievements of the Emirates Council for Food Security in 2023, which included increasing the reserve of strategic food products in the UAE by 85 per cent and raising the grain storage capacity in the country by 34 per cent.
“Our target is to sustainably ensure our food security, at all times, under any circumstances.
“We also reviewed the achievements report of the Emirates Research and Development Council for the year 2023, approved our national priorities for research and development, approved a set of global challenges programmes to finance research and development, notably research related to water desalination, and approved the development of a comprehensive strategy for intellectual property in this sector.”