The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday unveiled a new branch of government, a Ministry of Possibilities, three years after launching a department in charge of happiness.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the UAE's premier and ruler of Dubai, said the "unconventional" ministry would function "without a minister" but with input from the whole cabinet.

"We launched the world's first virtual 'Ministry of Possibilities', a new government work system in the UAE," he said on Twitter.

"The virtual ministry, administered by the cabinet, will address pressing national portfolios and build future government systems."

It would also cut waiting times for government services, according to the Dubai government's media office.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "Future challenges require the constant development of the government structure... and impossible is not in our dictionary."

In 2016, the UAE created ministries of happiness and tolerance.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.