‘Be guided by Bedouin values for future’
dubai — Holding on to the leadership values that the Bedouins have long lived by is crucial in the Emirati society’s journey towards the future, said Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“Leaders lead best when they empower their people, when they raise everyone up. It’s not about taking charge of others. It’s about taking responsibility for one another. That’s how the Bedouins survived, and that’s how communities grow,” said the daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
As she addressed the World Government Summit session titled ‘Choosing the Future We Came From’, Sheikha Mariam fondly looked back on the leadership inspirations she has had since she was a child. She said the influence of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and her father has fueled her passion for knowledge.
“I learned from my father how to educate our children by talking and telling stories and lessons. We learned from him the dialogue style in guidance and education. Our childhood has been filled with inspiring lessons,” Sheikha Mariam said, as she addressed a closed group at the summit on Tuesday.
Storytelling is the Bedouins’ way of imparting wisdom and knowledge, and she said this is one of the traditions that the Emiratis must hold on to. The collaborative principles of the Majlis, along with innovation, creativity and the Bedouins’ spirit of survival, all provide a blueprint for a prosperous future, said Sheikha Mariam.
At the session, she also praised the role Sheikh Zayed’s wife, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, played in establishing the “renaissance of Emirati women”.
She said: “Beside the great man (Abu Zayed) stands a great woman who paved the way for the renaissance of Emirati women. She is my idol, our mother Fatima.”
Speaking about her work as the chair of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, Sheikha Mariam said: “I started my career at the foundation, which is based on the approach of investing in the future of the UAE by investing in its people. We aim to highlight the most important values and principles that have served as a roadmap for our ancestors and remain closely linked to the choices we make today for our future.”