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A total of 98 Emiratis filed their candidacy for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections on the last day of registration of application, taking the total figure up to 555, including 200 from women in five days.

On Thursday, Abu Dhabi received 27 applications, Dubai 26, Sharjah 18, and Ajman saw six. While no applications were registered in Umm Al Quwain on the fifth day, Ras Al Khaimah recorded 14 applications and Fujairah saw seven.

by Anna Zacharias

The National Election Committee, NEC, on Sunday announced the list of the electoral college members from all emirates for the 2019 Federal National Council (FNC), elections, which features 337,738 members, marking a 50.58 per cent hike over the 2015 list that included 224,281 Emirati electors.

Children born to Emirati mothers with foreign fathers are not automatically entitled to a UAE passport

It has more women in positions of authority than the United States, the youngest minister in the world and an age difference of nearly half a century. Not to mention the world’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.

These are some of the many ways in which the new UAE Cabinet, announced on Thursday, is remarkable.

With nine ministerial positions out of 31 now held by women, the UAE is more gender-equal than Donald Trump’s cabinet, which has four.

ABU DHABI // The happiest nation in the Arab world is planning on getting even happier.

As part of a major Federal Government shake-up, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday announced the new post of Minister of State for Happiness, the first of its kind in the region and one of the few in the world.

“It’s a historical decision,” said Saeed Al Nazari, an Emirati who started a UAE chapter of the Global Happiness Organisation, a non-profit body that aims to promote happiness worldwide.

SHARJAH// Two hundred candidates have been approved to stand for the 21 seats on the Sharjah Consultative Council.

On Sunday, the Sharjah Election Committee announced the initial list of approved candidates for the first local election in the history of the country.

The list includes 43 women.

In Sharjah city, 96 applications, including 25 women, were approved to compete for six seats.

The eastern region has had the second-highest number of candidates, with 30 competing in Khor Fakkan and 23 in Kalba for three seats in each district.

The Sharjah Advisory Council elections highlights the maturity of the parliamentary experience, and marks a new step in the efforts to strengthen political participation and empower citizens, a UAE minister has said.

Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the political empowerment programme, launched by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in 2005, represents a distinguished approach in political development and enhancing the political awareness of the citizens.

ABU DHABI // Oration, education and the electoral campaign of a candidate were the major influences on who Emiratis voted for in the recent FNC elections, a study shows.

The report, How do Emirati Voters Determine for Whom to Vote in FNC Elections? by UAE University professors Abdulfattah Yaghi and Osman Antwi-Boateng, questioned 1,800 Emirati voters, out of which 1,518 results were assessed.

About 86 per cent of the interviewed sample considered a candidate’s speechmaking skills as a major factor in their appeal.