SHARJAH – Rashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi, former UAE Foreign Minister and Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, were hosted by the ongoing Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2018) Thursday and shed light on the formative role, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, played to lay the foundation of the UAE. They also emphasised that this year-long tribute has brought the country’s youth a much better understanding of the life and vision of the founding father, and will go a long way in shaping their roles as future leaders.
At a session titled ‘The Year of Zayed’ moderated by researcher and writer Dr Majid Abu Shulaibi, the two fondly remembered the founding father and how he based nation-building plans on good education, cultural progress and human capital investment.
Sheikh Zayed – a visionary ahead of his time
Shedding light on the UAE’s early beginnings as a formalised Union, Al Nuaimi said that the late Sheikh Zayed was exceptionally meticulous in sketching the national project and always had the welfare and progress of people at the heart of every development plan.
Emphasising that Sheikh Zayed always believed in the power of words, science and culture in the advancement of societies, Al Nuaimi recounted: “On one of his frequent nation-wide school visits, the father of the nation saw that students were in difficult circumstances. Upon inquiring, the students told him that the trek from their homes to the school was unbearably long. He immediately commissioned housing projects around the school and also ordered the setting up of schools in various residential communities, which today are leading residential communities in the UAE boasting sophisticated infrastructure and public amenities.
Speaking of Sheikh Zayed’s leading role in defining UAE’s foreign relations, he added: “We encountered several challenges back then. We needed embassies to communicate with other countries in the world, and no one knew about the UAE and Abu Dhabi. The scarcity of funds in the 1960s was overwhelming us too. Sheikh Zayed strong knowledge of politics and diplomacy, his charisma and strong stance to always support the truth, and unrivalled leadership quickly earned him allies around the world, with whom we continue to share strong ties.”
Year of Zayed – more than a tribute to the nation’s founding father
Nusseibeh, the special translator to the late Sheikh Zayed, said that the tribute year is cementing the nation’s foundations for the next era of development, as it is bringing the younger generations closer to the achievements of the founding father, and presenting them with the responsibility to take the great man’s legacy forward.
“Oil and money were never his primal concerns. Sheikh Zayed’s vision behind the creation of the Union and uniting the leaders of the seven emirates, who would together pledge their allegiance to build a nation rich with science, knowledge, culture, and humanism was where he truly expended all his energies,” said Nusseibeh
“Today we are here in an emirate, which is the 2019 UNESCO World Book Capital, and a haven for writers and intellectuals. This event itself is a realization of the efforts of our founding father. The late Sheikh Zayed’s doors were always open to the UAE’s people; he was mostly acquainted with their every need. His people always knew they would be protected by his wisdom, advice and financial support.”
“Sheikh Zayed always condemned violence. He was asked once for a financial support to buy weapons, Sheikh Zayed said that he would sanction financial aid for medical and food supplies, and humanitarian assistance, but never for the purchase of arms,” he added.
