RIYADH: Dubai is on track to undertake a series of projects worth 5.5 billion dirhams ($1.49 billion) thanks to approval from the emirate’s vice president. Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has given the green light for the projects slated for 2024 under the umbrella of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, Emirates News Agency, also known as WAM, reported. This move reflects Al-Maktoum’s commitment to provide all necessary support to citizens to ensure the welfare and well-being of their families. “Family is the cornerstone of the nation and the foundation of all development,” Al-Maktoum said. “Our ultimate objective is to enhance the quality of citizens’ lives for a brighter future,” he added. The approved projects include the allocation of 3,500 plots of land to be distributed among citizens in Dubai, besides 2,300 ready-to-move-in houses across the emirate. In addition, the Dubai ruler also issued directives to name the new area designated for the housing project for citizens Latifa City. Moreover, the prime minister reaffirmed the emirate’s commitment to launching more projects to fulfill the aspirations of Dubai’s citizens. In January, Dubai rolled out a 32 trillion-dirham economic plan to spur trade and investments over the next decade. Also referred to as D33, the new agenda includes as many as 100 transformative projects in Dubai as the government wants to place the emirate among the top three economic cities in the world. “We have more than 300,000 investors in Dubai and I invite everyone to join our journey to be one of the fastest growing cities in the world,” Al-Maktoum said in a tweet at the time. Under the plan, foreign trade is targeted to reach 25.6 trillion dirhams over the next 10 years, up from 14.2 trillion dirhams in the past decade.