UAE commemorates death anniversary of Sheikh Zayed, UAE papers

Abu Dhabi, July 29, 2013 (WAM) - UAE local newspapers this morning focused on the ninth anniversary of the death of the founder of the United Arab Emirates and the builder of its renaissance, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Khaleej Times, in its editorial entitled: "The visionary leader", said, "Today is the ninth death anniversary of the UAE's legendary founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is no less than a miracle that under his guidance and leadership, the United Arab Emirates emerged as a progressive and prosperous nation, and set its sight on becoming a hub for trade, tourism and investment for the entire region". It continued, "He lives on in the heart of the masses and is greatly revered, remembered and admired for his acumen, steadfastness, generosity and visionary approach. He was not only revered by his countrymen but was also held in high esteem by the entire Arab and Muslim world". "He stood for peace, progress and prosperity, and that is evident with the path of development that the UAE attained in his era. Having started as the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain in 1946 and taking the reins of power in Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966, Sheikh Zayed came a long way to become the first elected president at the formation of the UAE on December 2nd, 1971. From then on there was no looking back, as the UAE continued to scale the heights of success and stability". The National's editorial, 'Sheikh Zayed's vision lives on all around us' said that, "The late Sheikh Zayed was a remarkable leader with great vision. That vision has created what the UAE is today: a country that numbers among the top 10 most competitive nations in the world - just 41 years after its formation". Since the union of the seven emirates on December 2, 1971, the country has developed at a rapid pace. Simply by looking around, one can see Sheikh Zayed's tangible legacy across the country. Within a few decades, the UAE has been transformed from a desert to a thriving modern state. But his vision of development has gone beyond infrastructure and landscaping. The late Sheikh Zayed always emphasised the importance of building human capital, saying, "Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies." And so he focused on education as a top priority for the UAE, putting all efforts into raising new generations of educated Emiratis who could work hard to serve their country. Sheikh Zayed also believed strongly in the role of women in the development of the nation. He stood in the frontline in support of women's rights and empowerment. During his time, women were given the opportunity to hold key positions in government institutions and had integral roles in decision making. Today, the UAE has four female cabinet ministers, nine Federal National Council members and many more women working in various leadership positions across the nation. Sheikh Zayed cared not only for his own people. His universal respect and tolerance has encouraged people from all over the world to come to the UAE and participate in the process of development. The UAE is now a model for tolerance in the region and one of the most welcoming nations in the world. It hosts more than 200 nationalities of various backgrounds and different faiths. Another editorial entitled 'Zayed - Charity not just at home' published by Gulf Today, stated that, "The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, was an all-encompassing embodiment of generosity. The home-grown trait of extending help to the underprivileged was the result of Sheikh Zayed's large-heartedness, who thought not only about caring for his people, but also those in foreign shores who were in dire need of basic assistance. The UAE's humanitarian activities have been exemplary". "Whether it's pledging over Dh100 million in humanitarian and financial assistance and providing healthcare services to about 770,000 children and elderly people in Somalia, rushing emergency assistance to the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, sending relief to displaced families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, dispatching cargo planes carrying medical and relief supplies for the Syrian refugees in Jordan, or distributing food among more than 13,000 families living in Palestinian refugee camps, the UAE has always been in the vanguard of humanitarian help". - Emirates News Agency, WAM