Remembering Zayed on 52nd Accession Day

His love for his people and his efforts on their behalf are enshrined in every Emirati’s heart and mind

Yesterday marked the 52nd anniversary of the Accession Day of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE, a prescient leader, practical philosopher and visionary architect who shaped, nurtured and motivated the UAE on to a journey of progress that has earned it global admiration and respect down the decades.

Every nation is fashioned into an entity due to the coalescing forces of dreams, ambitions, values and ideals emanating from great thinkers who have the capacity to see beyond their lifetime into a future and decipher the clues therein to tap into its potential and Shaikh Zayed was one of those great minds. His enviable perspicacity is the solid foundation on which the UAE today stands, its achievements a testimony to the vision that continues to nourish it.

Zayed’s statesmanship covered the gamut of nation-building. From establishing propulsive regional and international ties to cementing every single stepping stone to development, including the UAE’s humanitarian core values that are today its defining feature, Shaikh Zayed chiselled every facet of the UAE into a glorious global prominence. The values and achievements that the UAE is so reputed for, from governance, innovation, environmental, health care and education milestones to modern infrastructure, technological prowess and commitment to people’s welfare, are all derivatives of Shaikh Zayed’s vision and sagacity.

His absolute love for his people and his efforts on their behalf is enshrined in every Emirati’s heart and mind and sublimated into an abiding principle of contribution for all generations to come. In that posterity lies the continued fulfilment of the promise of its citizens to take their country to ever greater heights.