On Jan 1, 2026, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan unveiled the UAE’s new Community-Managed Virtual Authority. This first-of-its-kind body will be fully run by citizens. Diverse groups of skilled Emiratis will rotate through leadership roles for fixed terms. Announced at the close of the Year of Community 2025, the initiative is inspired by the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed. It aims to put human development and innovation at the heart of UAE governance.
Table of Contents
Key Highlights:
- Launch and Purpose: Officially launched Jan 1, 2026, by President Sheikh Mohamed, the Community-Managed Virtual Authority will enhance citizens’ role in shaping the nation’s future. The timing aligns with the conclusion of the Year of Community 2025.
- Citizen-Led Model: For the first time, the public will fully manage a government authority. Qualified Emiratis will assume leadership roles, ensuring community participation is at its core.
- Rotating Leadership: A director-general and team members are drawn from the community for fixed terms. Candidates meet clear criteria (competence, expertise and commitment). Each new team injects fresh ideas and expertise.
- Diverse Talent Pool: The authority will include experts, professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, youth and experienced retirees. This broad diversity is seen as a driving force for national development.
- Mandate: Its core mission is to design innovative, implementable initiatives that directly address community needs. Programs will align with UAE priorities (including the Centennial 2071 vision) and aim to strengthen social cohesion and sustainable development.
- Governance Model: This first-of-its-kind governance model embeds community empowerment into UAE administration. It institutionalises the Year of Community’s “Hand in Hand” ethos as a durable, people-led framework, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global laboratory for government innovation.
How the UAE Virtual Authority Will Operate
The Community-Managed Authority introduces a new participatory model. Under this structure, a director-general and team are appointed by the President from among community nominees. Selections follow a flexible, merit-based process based on clear criteria of competence and expertise. Each leadership team serves a fixed term, after which a new group takes over. This rotation ensures a steady influx of fresh ideas and avoids institutional inertia. Officials emphasise that continuity is maintained through defined frameworks and knowledge-transfer plans, so projects proceed smoothly across leadership changes.
The authority’s programs will be fully aligned with the UAE national strategies. It is structured in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision, fostering a culture of innovation and enabling individuals to realise their potential. By focusing on human development, it aims to strengthen social cohesion, improve the quality of life and drive sustainable growth across the UAE. Involving citizens directly in governance is also expected to reinforce public trust by ensuring that policies reflect the community’s needs.
Empowering Every Segment of Society
What stands out in the mandate is who they are looking for. They aren’t just looking for career bureaucrats; they want the untapped talent sitting in majlises and universities across the country. The authority is casting a wide net to ensure the UAE’s participatory governance model actually looks like the UAE.
They want a mix:
- Specialists and Academics: People who bring the data and the deep-dive technical knowledge.
- Entrepreneurs: The risk-takers who know how to pivot fast—something public service often needs.
- Youth: For the digital fluency and fresh perspective that older generations might miss.
- Retired Citizens: This is crucial—bringing in that wisdom and deep-rooted experience so it doesn’t go to waste.
When you put that mix together, this UAE community empowerment authority stops being an abstract concept and starts looking like a real cross-section of society.
A New Model of Governance
UAE officials describe this authority as a pioneering shift in governance. State media notes it “entrusts the community with full management of a public authority within a structured institutional framework. By combining administrative flexibility with direct community involvement, the initiative advances a people-led governance model and underscores Sheikh Mohamed’s long-term emphasis on investing in human capital.
This launch is seen as the flagship outcome of 2025’s Year of Community. It transforms time-limited community programmes into a lasting model of shared responsibility. It positions the UAE as a global example of innovative governance, reflecting the President’s vision of empowering citizens to shape national priorities
