(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Zayed Humanitarian Work Day is being celebrated across the country and people from different walks of life are paying tributes to the founding father of the UAE the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and attributing all their successes and achievements to his leadership policies and wisdom.
Sanad Al Meqbali who is the chairman of the Emirates Entrepreneurs Association said there are few visionaries and leaders in contemporary history like the late Shaikh Zayed. He transformed his tiny nation into a world power in finance trade investments governance and leadership. “People look towards the UAE in these fields for inspiration guidance and leadership” he said. “It was due to his love for his people that he considered his countrymen as his own family and lifted them to a level where they are now envied by many for the social and economic progress they have made in recent years.
“To motivate his people Shaikh Zayed used to visit them and encourage them to pursue higher education and start businesses; he introduced them to modernity” Al Meqbali said.
Al Meqbali who was recently elected to the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Shaikh Zayed knew well that oil would dry up one day and thus focused on economic diversification. The launch of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority which is now the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) in the late 70s reflects his deep business acumen and futuristic approach towards economy he said.
Today there are several SWFs in the country which have made the UAE the finance and investment regional centre he added.
Sanad said the founding father changed the definition of a welfare state by giving interest-free loans to his people to build houses and by granting free land for agriculture and setting up industries.
Talib Ali Talib Al Harthi a senior official at the Ministry of Interior said Shaikh Zayed lives in the hearts of citizens and expatriates as well as those around the world who have seen his leadership qualities.
“He is always remembered and will always be remembered as the man with a charitable and humanitarian cause. For us and in fact for all those who knew him he was precious for his wisdom and care. He was the leader of all — young old citizens expatriates and the peoples of the world” he said.
Al Harthi said Zayed was also a great world leader politician and statesman and influenced many regional states and governments towards stability and peace. “He always stood by regional Arab and Muslim countries for their stability and progress” he added.
“Being a man who created history Shaikh Zayed always attracted writers and historians who were overwhelmed by his unique personality ... It was his ambition to change life in the desert” said Al Harthi.
“He helped many countries around the world and shared the wealth from the country’s natural resources for building schools hospitals and roads ... around the world. Shaikh Zayed was extremely popular in his home country. He was admired as a relatively simple man who guarded his people’s culture and traditions and presented a civilised image of the UAE to the rest of the world. He is the undisputed father of the nation.”
Mian Amjad Javed general manager of Abu Dhabi-based Al Khalis Advertising said Shaikh Zayed left “a very strong legacy” for his followers in the fields of public service economic development and helping the poor in not only the UAE but across Asia Middle East and Africa.
“He was a true statesman a kind soul and caring leader who reached out to those in need without even asking” said Javed. “His love for humanity is the reason that the UAE is the leader in humanitarian services. The nation spends billions of dollars per annum ... in aid to victims of natural disasters internally displaced peoples for poverty alleviation to spread the fruits of education and health and disaster management.”
Zayed Al Baloushi who is employed with the Abu Dhabi Municipality said Shaikh Zayed’s leadership put the UAE on the world map. Because of him the UAE went from being a sparsely populated group of islands to the economic giant it is today — in just four decades.
“The UAE is not only a leader in finance trade and economy but also in the use of technology. It is a frontrunner in arts fashion music and culture. It’s a melting pot of cultures” he said.
Millions have been benefitting from the hospitals and clinics that Shaikh Zayed set up across the world he added.
haseebkhaleejtimes.com
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.