UAE unveils new government authority to be led by citizens as Year of Community ends
Skilled Emiratis to manage authority under rotating leadership model
ABU DHABI – UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the launch of the Community-Managed Virtual Authority, a pioneering initiative designed to place skilled members of the community at the centre of governance.
The announcement coincides with the conclusion of the UAE’s Year of Community and draws inspiration from the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The initiative reflects a broader national direction focused on empowering people and investing in human capital as a driver of long-term development.
New model
The Community-Managed Virtual Authority adopts a non-traditional approach to government, built around direct community participation. For the first time, skilled individuals from across the UAE will assume full responsibility for managing a public authority within a structured institutional framework.
Leadership will be entrusted to a Director General and team members appointed for fixed terms, with each cycle focused on developing meaningful and practical outputs that deliver lasting benefit to the nation and its people.
Rotating leadership
Appointments within the authority will follow clear criteria centred on competence, expertise and the ability to contribute effectively to defined objectives. The rotating appointment of directors and teams is intended to ensure a continuous flow of ideas, regular exchange of expertise and sustained momentum across leadership cycles.
This approach embeds the principles of shared responsibility and role rotation, reinforcing a culture of community leadership grounded in initiative and service.
Who can join
The authority is designed to attract a broad cross-section of skilled Emiratis, including professionals, specialists, academics, entrepreneurs, youth and retirees with extensive experience.
By bringing together contributors from different generations and disciplines, the model aims to transform community diversity into a practical engine for national development, while encouraging knowledge exchange and collaboration across sectors.
National alignment
The core mandate of the Community-Managed Virtual Authority is to design initiatives, programmes and solutions that are innovative, implementation-ready and directly informed by community needs. Its work will focus on strengthening social cohesion, enhancing quality of life across the UAE and supporting sustainable development goals. Continuity will be ensured through approved frameworks, defined policies, phased action plans and structured mechanisms for knowledge transfer between successive teams.
The authority’s operations will remain aligned with national strategies and endorsed policy directions, ensuring consistency with broader state priorities while reinforcing trust in participatory governance. Structured reference models will guide decision-making, allowing administrative flexibility without compromising institutional stability.
The launch of the Community-Managed Virtual Authority represents a tangible outcome of the Year of Community and embeds the spirit of its ‘Hand in Hand’ theme into a lasting institutional framework.