We mark these blessed days, the 10th anniversary of the passing of our great leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May Allah rest his soul in peace. Ten years have passed since the father, teacher and founder of the UAE departed this world in his body, while his soul will remain eternal. We shall always remember the builder of the nation’s renaissance and its national pride, and the spiritual father of the Union. Sheikh Zayed is still alive in the minds and hearts of the people of the UAE and Arab and Muslim nations, and his name still rings strong whenever his deeds are mentioned in international arenas.
Sheikh Zayed devoted his life to building his country and serving its citizens and dedicated himself to helping to achieve their dreams and aspirations. Thanks to his wise vision, he started building the nation from scratch, by harnessing the returns of natural resources to build schools and hospitals in all parts of the country, in addition to hundreds of infrastructure projects and modern cities, which contributed to the transition of the UAE into one of the world’s most developed countries. Indeed, Sheikh Zayed was one of the very few leaders who selflessly serve their countries and people.
The late leader realized from the outset that maintaining the gains of the Union was more difficult than making further achievements. He also realized that building the country would only be possible by building the capacity of the citizens and empowering them scientifically, economically and socially, and providing them with all means of a prosperous living, well-being and security.
Women were not exempt from this great movement witnessed by the UAE, they constituted one of the basic pillars of the modern society, and assumed in the era of Zayed the highest positions, including Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in many Arab, regional and international organizations.
Sheikh Zayed strongly believed that the human being is the basic element of development, and the precious wealth of this country. He believed that money is not an end itself but the means to serve the people and that the real investment of any developed nation is its educated children, as advancement is measured by the level of education. In this regard, late Sheikh Zayed said: "Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power we value. This is what has convinced us to direct all our resources to building the individual and to using the wealth which God has provided us in the service of the nation.”
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May God rest his soul, was convinced that civilizations cannot be built without knowledge and that nations achieve progress through education, which makes it imperative to disseminate education, culture and encourage women in particular to seek knowledge.
The memory of his pure soul is still present in every accomplishment by the UAE on national and global levels.