New benchmarks for the quality and production of gold could be introduced in the UAE following discussions at the Ministerial Development Council.
The Council has been considering the introduction of the UAE Good Delivery Standard.
It contains a set of rules describing the physical characteristics of gold for wholesale.
Chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Council confirmed that the UAE government is keen to strengthen the non-oil sectors by encouraging innovation.
It aims to do so by updating legislation and regulatory frameworks and encouraging sectors with high added value to enhance business and competitiveness.
Gold already accounts for 29 per cent of the UAE's total non-oil foreign trade exports.
The Council also considered establishing a specialised committee to supervise the UAE bullion market, along with a federal platform for trading and tracking, and a comprehensive database for the sector.
The initiatives come as a part of a larger policy designed to enhance the UAE’s position as a global hub for gold trading and to ensure the best governance, sustainability and innovation practices.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, has praised the progress of the Dubai Cashless Strategy, with cashless transactions now accounting for 90.1 per cent of all transactions in the Emirate.
The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has announced the doubling of the venture capital fund managed by its investment arm, Oraseya Capital, from AED500 million to AED1 billion.
A UAE delegation is set to participate in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG), taking place in Thailand's Bangkok from October 12-18.
Etihad Airways and flydubai have cancelled more flights between the UAE and several cities in Saudi Arabia following the airport attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the attacks launched by the Houthi group on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.