A bright future beckons the UAE thanks to Sheikh Khalifa

Over the span of five glorious decades, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s vision shaped the foundation of the present UAE.

His presidency oversaw remarkable policies that governed and augmented the growth of human capital within the nation, alongside social and economic development, public participation and robust international cooperation.

His leadership cultivated shared values of peace, tolerance and intellectual advancement as a national priority, and invested all of the national resources into the betterment and prosperity of the country and its people.

Sheikh Khalifa was a forward-looking leader who ensured the development of education as a sector, for imparting knowledge and advancing literacy in women particularly, alongside adequate vocational training, enabling public and private participation of meritorious females in the nation. 

Today the UAE stands strong as a regional leader championing the economic empowerment of women and equality of opportunity in every sector. A transformational reality to be remembered and celebrated.

Not only did his vision safeguard the sovereignty of the nation, but it strengthened the position of the UAE in the GCC, reaffirmed several alliances in the Arab world through peace, diplomacy and dialogue and accomplished the rise of the nation as a regional power.

The Economic Diversification Policy of the UAE was led by unending commitment and vision to strengthen a knowledge-based economy

A true humanitarian, Sheikh Khalifa led the nation and its ethos with utmost generosity and humility. The UAE contributed 1.26 percent of its gross national income to development aid in 2021, and these numbers are reassuring of the belief in substantive philanthropy and commitment to foreign aid.

The OECD repeatedly ranked the UAE as the largest foreign aid donor in the world, as a proportion of national income.

Equally remarkable are the global recognitions of the UAE in 50 short years. Most notable among these are the mission to Mars with the “Hope Probe” that stimulated a scientific awakening and also depicted the country’s commitment to multilateralism, particularly when it comes to space exploration and space education; a diverse energy policy with the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant which at present is operational and providing 1,400 megawatts to the UAE’s national grid and is expected to produce 85 percent of the Gulf state’s clean electricity by 2025; and investments into clean hydrogen and carbon efficient technologies.

The Economic Diversification Policy of the UAE was led by unending commitment and vision to strengthen a knowledge-based economy.

Driven by innovation the UAE announced the Emirates Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Policy in 2015 which included 100 national initiatives in the educational sector, health, energy, transportation, space and water, and an investment of over $81.7 billion (AED 300 billion) in the sectors of novel national policies in legislation, investment, technology, education and finance – all of which provisioned gains beyond the borders and accelerated the development of the UAE.

Today we look at a young country built with a unique vision for its people, one which is an alternative, future-oriented model that supports moderate Islam, empowers women, embraces diversity, pioneering solidarity, coherence and unity, encourages participation, innovation and welcomes global engagement.

We now look forward to an enlightened future shaped by the positive and progressive leadership of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan – a leader who has guarded and advanced the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed and his brother, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. We are thoroughly optimistic about the UAE’s future.

Dr. Arshi Ayub Mohamed Zaveri is CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Trust With Trade Group and a Senior Advisor to the Royal Family Offices, UAE