‘We’re honoured to be children of Zayed’
B aba Zayed has always been a part of Bedour Al Raqbani’s home. As a child, she grew up hearing stories from her father — who worked with the federal government — of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his majlis.
“The way he created this whole land out of a desert, the way he united the emirates is very much spoken about on various platforms. We are very honoured to be the children of Shaikh Zayed,” Bedour told Gulf News.
Speaking about the term ‘Children of Zayed’, Bedour said that Emiratis are lovingly called ‘Aal Zayed’ or ‘Children of Zayed’ a lot more often than Emiratis within the Arabian Gulf, because of the role Shaikh Zayed played in building the nation.
She still remembers her younger sister’s attachment to Shaikh Zayed. Even though she herself had never met Shaikh Zayed, her sister hung his photos in her room and excitedly followed coverage on television. One day, her father happened to mention this to Shaikh Zayed. “My father said, ‘Your Highness, my youngest daughter is [very] fond of you and loves you [very] much.’ [Shaikh Zayed] told my father, ‘Tell her I love her as well.’ This warm heart and warm nature is what everybody knows about Baba Zayed.”
Bedour named her youngest son Zayed, something she says many Emirati households have done to express their love for the Father of the Nation. Her son, who is now five years old, is also aware of the importance his name carries.
“Every day, I ask him, ‘Do you know why I called you Zayed?’ He says, ‘Yes, because you love Baba Zayed.’ So, for us, he will always stay with us.”
The Year of Zayed can play a crucial role in connecting the young generation of Emiratis to their history, she said.
A lot of children do not really understand what we have gained as children under the supervision of Baba Zayed. So, if we can bring back his legacy, stories and wisdom in different ways in our daily life, that would be an amazing tribute to Shaikh Zayed.” Bedour Al Raqbani | Founder of Kalimati