‘A miracle who made a miracle out of UAE’
I specifically witnessed monumental progress regarding educational facilities ... He encouraged everyone to get an education and this helped women achieve greater equality.” Khamis Al Antali | Fujairah resident
‘S haikh Zayed was a miracle ... and made a miracle out of the UAE,” declared actor and playwright at the Dibba Society for Culture, Arts and Theatre, Abdullah Ahmad Masoud Al Sereidi. The 42-yearold Fujairah resident was speaking to Gulf News on the impact the founding father has had on the UAE and its people.
“On the day of Shaikh Zayed’s death, everything stopped in the country. The public was in denial and shock, because he was a unique leader ... His decision regarding the union of the seven emirates led to the UAE’s enormous prosperity.
“As for us ... he never neglected the smaller emirates like Fujairah, and he gave it particular importance because of its rich history.”
Generating employment opportunities
Khamis Bin Abdullah Al Antali has been living in Dibba since birth. The 70-year-old said: “People’s lives comprised farming and seamanship before Shaikh Zayed transformed the UAE. Before his leadership, UAE residents would sail to other Gulf countries to find jobs. One of the most significant changes during his reign were the employment opportunities generated within the country. We did not have to leave our country anymore. Instead, foreigners started coming to the UAE to find work.”
A member of the Dibba Society for Culture, Arts and Theatre, he said that the community witnessed an increase in the variety of professions available. “The population no longer depended solely on pearl diving and farming. People chose to be electricians, teachers and medical staff,” he added.
Monumental progress in education
Shaikh Zayed “elevated the country’s educational sector” to great heights, Ahmad Mohammad Rashid Khamis Al Kadeem Al Antali, working in the Ministry of Community Development, told
Shaikh Zayed initiated the country’s first ever university — UAE University — and “encouraged students from every emirate to join”, said the 52-year-old Fujairah resident.
“He provided transportation from each emirate to the institute and gave financial grants to the students.”
This enabled Al Antali to get his bachelor’s degree from the UAE University in Al Ain, despite hailing from Dibba, Fujairah.
“I specifically witnessed monumental progress regarding educational facilities, in the city of Dibba. Shaikh Zayed built schools in inaccessible mountainous areas, for both girls and boys.
“He encouraged everyone to get an education and this helped women achieve greater equality,” Al Antali added. Recalling a personal encounter with Shaikh Zayed at his university’s graduation ceremony, Al Antali said: “He shook each student’s hand and encouraged them to pursue further education.”