The National Elections Committee (NEC) has granted its approval for the final list of candidates participating in the Federal National Council (FNC) elections in the UAE this year. A total of 309 candidates will compete for membership in the FNC, with 118 candidates in Abu Dhabi, 57 in Dubai, 50 in Sharjah, 21 in Ajman, 34 in Ras Al Khaimah, 14 in Umm Al Quwain, and 15 in Fujairah.
The release of the final list follows the appeals period, which took place from August 26 to 28, during which no appeals were submitted against any of the candidates. Notable details about this year’s candidates include the fact that 59% are men and 41% are women. Additionally, 36 candidates fall within the age range of 25 to 35, while the remaining 273 candidates are over 36 years old.
The FNC elections will determine the 20 members of the council, with four seats allocated to Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively, and three seats each for Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah will each have two seats.
Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of State for FNC Affairs and Chairman of the NEC, expressed the committee’s commitment to ensuring the success of this year’s elections. Al Owais urged all candidates to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations governing electoral campaigns, as outlined in the executive instructions for the 2023 FNC elections.
The FNC is one of the five federal authorities outlined in the UAE Constitution, alongside The Supreme Council of the Union, the President of the Union and Vice President, the Council of Ministers of the Union, and the Federal Judiciary.
The campaign period is set to commence on September 11 and will last for 23 days, with September 26 designated as the final day for candidate withdrawals.