His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired a meeting of the Cabinet at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Present were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Lt-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting reviewed the performance of ministries and federal bodies in the first half of 2009. The meeting looked at a report of the Higher Committee of Ports and Civil Airports and agreed to the committee's affiliation to the International Road Federation.

The meeting ratified an agreement signed between the UAE and South Korea on peaceful use of nuclear energy and the renewal of a memorandum of understanding between the UAE and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The Cabinet ratified the closing financial accounts of some federal bodies and approved appointments in some ministries. The meeting also agreed to ban printing on plastic bags as an environment-friendly step.

Also yesterday, Sheikh Mohammed visited the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (Eiast).

Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on progress of work in Eiast as well as its development programmes to upgrade performance. Eiast scientists explained to Sheikh Mohammed the objectives of programmes and research on space, astronomy, energy, environment and water.

Sheikh Mohammed also stopped at the Earth Observation Station of DubaiSat-1 and then proceeded to the room for collection, management and analysis of data and images and exchange of data.

At the lab for building satellites, Sheikh Mohammed viewed a model of DubaiSat-1.