‘He taught me humanitarianism’
Ahumble man with extraordinary ambitions and profound love for his country and its people was Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan “who taught me humanity and the humanitarian approach towards people”, Emirati businessman Sedeeq Fateh Ali Khaja said.
Khaja feels fortunate to have lived in the era of Shaikh Zayed. He accompanied him on many occasions. In an interview with Gulf News, Khaja, who had witnessed the era of the Father of Nation and spent time with him, recalled his memories of Shaikh Zayed and his utmost love for the people, culture and development of the country.
“Shaikh Zayed would always listen carefully to the people’s problems and strive to solve them. He travelled to all corners of the country and far-flung villages to meet people to find out their grievances,” Khaja said.
“The most worthy value, which Shaikh Zayed drilled in minds of people, was to spread love among people. When he met people, he enquired about their condition, their concerns and complaints.”
On one occasion, Shaikh Zayed met people from different tribes who showed their dissatisfaction with the camel race and declined to participate in the upcoming competitions. When Shaikh Zayed asked them the reason, they said, “We don’t have good, fresh fodder for camels, while others have it and our camels are not that strong to compete with them. That’s why we stepped out from the competition.” Immediately, Shaikh Zayed assured them these demands would be met, so all agreed to take part. So that’s how he used to find out people’s problems and solve them, Khaja recalled.