President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2018 as “Year of Zayed” in commemoration of the 100th year since the late Sheikh Zayed assumed leadership in Abu Dhabi.
HH Sheikh Khalifa said the Year of Zayed aims to pay homage to the late Sheikh Zayed who became a catalyst for “unity, prosperity, and societal development”.
The President also urged UAE residents to uphold the values instilled by the Ruler, including his “wisdom, respect, determination, loyalty, a sense of belongingness to the nation, and willingness to make sacrifices”.
“The Year of Zayed is a great national occasion when we will proudly share memories of the life of the founding father and his gift to us of deeply-rooted values, principles and traditions that have become part of our Emirati identity,” HH Sheikh Khalifa said.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, welcomed the declaration of 2018 as Year of Zayed and called for the launch of a comprehensive framework to boost the UAE’s advancement in technology, build a system of ethical values, and bolster productivity of the national economy.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said Year of GIving will complement initiatives under the “UAE Centennial 2017”, which aims to formulate national strategy to enhance the UAE’s “reputation and soft power”.
“The noble values and traditions of the late Sheikh Zayed represent a true wealth and source of pride for all those in the UAE, an inexhaustible well of giving from which current and future generations learn how to sacrifice all that is precious for the homeland,” he said.
This was echoed by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, saying that the best way to celebrate of Sheikh Zayed leadership’s centennial is to “spread his glorious human and cultural legacy”.
“He has always emphasised that man is the most essential element of progress, and that the most precious wealth of this country is its people, who we must take care of well. There is no use for money without men. This is the philosophy that drives the process of comprehensive and sustainable development of this country,” the Crown Prince said.
Photo credit: WAM
