The following is a transcript of Sheikh Mohammed's speech at the Arab Strategy Forum.

Welcome to our guests.

This forum is held on the first day after the end of the mourning period on our dearest departed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on his soul.

As we resume our official activities by welcoming this honourable gathering about the future of the Arab world, the greatest presence among us is the programme, thought and attitudes of the late Sheikh Zayed, whose heart and mind were inhabited by Arabism, which he crystallised in his conduct and life, in his morals, commitment and generosity.

The late Sheikh Zayed used to react to Arab events as if they happened in his own house. He was happy for any Arab achievement, no matter how small it was. He was pained by any mishap wherever it took place. He came first on every occasion of doing good, and was repulsed by dissension, hypocrisy and mean acts. We were always concerned that his heart may not withstand this overwhelming love, a heart that was overladen by the situations in the Arab world and suffering anxiety, grief and pain.

Had Zayed's programme been followed by the Arab nation as it has been followed in his own country, and had the Arab leaders adopted this programme, our Arab situation would have been different and our way to the year 2020 would have been paved and cleared.

Some of you may say that Sheikh Mohammed is overwhelmed by his emotions, and perhaps he is over-reacting in his speech. But those of you who knew the area in the fifties and earlier would realise that the unification of seven emirates, with all their governors, tribes, their bitter conditions and historical heritage, in one constitutional state, leading them to their present situation, is one embodiment of a major operation of change and reform in the history of the area.

The late Sheikh Zayed had achieved this great success by good rule, sharing advice, sincerity, dedication to work and service of his country and nation and concentration on development in every field, and openness to human civilisation in all its components.

The late Sheikh Zayed had a vision of change, and the will to introduce that change. This is exactly what we need in the Arab world today. We are clever in talking about change, but our will is hesitant or weak. For decades we have been talking about unity and cooperation. But the talk in some parts of our Arab world today is not about the unity of the nation, but about preventing the falling apart of some of its states.

Since globalisation knocked at our doors, we have been constantly talking about its dangers and effects, and about the need of the Arab states to stand together to face the evils of that globalisation. But is it not more urgent that the Arab states should start with themselves, to secure the cooperation of all vital powers in their communities to provide a hope to get out of the stagnant state and enter into an active one in order to make Arab cooperation possible and profitable?

In fact, globalisation does not make cooperation inevitable for the Arabs only, but for all nations and peoples of the world, to face the problems of poverty, disease, global warming, terrorism, extremism and dissension in the field of knowledge.

All geographical communities in the world are on the lookout for common denominators. Quite recently, a gathering of Latin American states materialised. So why do we in the Arab world disperse our common denominators and not behave even according to geographical logic?

Had Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid remained talking about the sweet dream of unity without genuine intention and courageous will, no change, reform, advance or development would have taken place.

I do not intend in my speech to impose upon your forum the experience of the Emirates, which I know that you hold dearly, but realities impose themselves. Whenever I think of the topic of this forum I have an image of an Arab world in 2020, enjoying prosperity and stability. Nothing inspires me with optimism more than our experience in the state of the Arab Emirates. Forty years ago, our situation was more bitter than the current Arab situation. As we were able to change that situation and put an end to that bitterness, the Arab world today is able to do the same.

I would like to point out here that the wealth God has given to the Emirates was not the decisive factor in change and reform. Wealth is usually a factor of dissension among states and not one of unification. It is an invitation to stagnation and rest, not to activity. You may know that oil income in the Emirates does not form more than 30% of the gross national income. For Dubai, it is not more than 7%.

In any case, the concept of wealth is wide. Water is a wealth, so is agricultural land, heritage, and human resources are an inexhaustible wealth. We live in an age where the importance of the components of wealth has changed. Man, knowledge and information have become the most important components.

I say this so no one should claim, while we are talking about the Arab world in 2020, that the Arab world is poor in resources. No Arab country is without sources of wealth. But the important point is the good management, administration, development and use for the welfare of the people.

The centre of gravity in development today is the human capital. The one in advancement is the good ruler. It does not help to turn away from the centre of gravity to the margins and ramifications. To substitute decisive action by turning around in vicious circles, disagreement about the tiger's skin before hunting it, looking for a conspiracy or a wicked plan behind every new thing is all to consecrate the current situation, resist reform and postpone change.

Ladies and gentlemen of the forum, in the Arab world, we are not proceeding to the year 2020 all alone. We are part of this world for whom one day we brought guidance. This world has today become more connected. It is like an open market for goods, capital, investments, services, information, culture and ideas.

Hence, the way in which we interact with this new world affects our ability to solve our current problems and achieve our objectives for the year 2020.

What I am most concerned about in this international connection is the growing indications about a possible success of the school of the conflict of cultures, categorising those cultures on ethnic and religious bases. If such categorisations should continue in their ascent, they would lead our world to a dark tunnel of violence and counter-violence and to hostilities with no end and without any winner.

I will stop here before what the Islamic world is facing in the form of cultural misunderstanding, as a result of vicious attempts to enrobe the struggle for interests with a conflict among religions.

We appreciate the anger caused by criminal acts and abnormal attitudes and behaviour committed by a few members who subscribe to our religion. We also took part in the international campaign against terrorism. But we reject stamping all Muslims with such actions and presenting them in the ugliest images of backwardness and barbarism, or picturing Islam as contrary to modern civilisation and western culture.

Among the first duties of leaders, intellectuals and active members in the Arab life while looking forward to the year 2020 is to confront ideas that deviate from our orthodox faith, to expose eccentric opinions and thwart the efforts of vicious people who try to push the world into a conflict of cultures. Islam is a religion of dialogue, human unity and equality among people. It is a religion of gentleness and kindness. Our Lord says, "Call to the course of your Lord by wisdom and good advice" and, "Argue with them in the better way".

Ladies and gentlemen, it is our right to look forward to a different Arab world in the year 2020. It is our duty to act and move speedier than speed itself. We are responsible for our destinies. It is by our hands, not by the hands of others, that change and reform are realised.

As for the international community that puts our area in the eye of the storm and suggests projects of change and reform one after the other - all we can say that we are grateful for that interest. Indeed we are in need of help, and the international community can extend that help. But reform cannot be realised by foreign projects and ready-made plans. It cannot be realised by tanks and cannons, by manipulating crises rather than solving them. Security and stability are two powers of reform. They are a joint responsibility between the states of the area and the international powers. Reality proves that the responsibility of those powers is greater. The international community certainly knows the requirements of security and stability, but it does not do enough to realise that. Security and stability in the Middle East demand a just solution for the Palestine question on the basis of international legitimacy, and a quick solution for the Iraqi question in a framework that restores Iraq to its people, protects its unity, restores its sovereignty and independence. This also demands to refrain from resorting to force in solving the conflicts, and to clear the Middle East area from the weapons of mass destruction.

Ladies and gentlemen, our Arab world lived in the midst of crises, problems and unrest for about a century. Many of us are used to blame the failure of development on those crises and foreign influence. It is time to get rid of this habit. Crises may slow down the development or postpone some programmes, but they can also be an added incentive to success and realisation of objectives.

I cannot see why a crisis, no matter how severe, could delay an economic, administrative or legislative reform or a plan to efface illiteracy.

What have foreign relations to do with the continuous application of legislation belonging to the Ottoman age? What have they to do with the mastery of government offices over citizens and applicants? What is the relation between foreign factors and the spread of corruption, appearance of cliques and centres of influence?

In the year 2020, the Arab population will come near 400 million. The Arab world will need dozens of millions of new jobs and hundreds of billion dollars to spend on the infrastructure. It will need huge efforts to eradicate illiteracy, develop education and shorten the gap of knowledge with the world. These needs cannot be met with the concepts and methods that led the Arab world to its current situation.

I say to the governments go to do your work, perform your duties in legislation, organisation, supervision and provide an atmosphere of work for the private sector and protect it from the claws of power centres and tribute imposers.

I say to my fellow Arabs in charge: If you do not initiate radical changes to restore respect to public duties, uphold the principles of lucidity, justice and responsibility, your peoples will resent you and the verdict of history on you will be severe.

To conclude, I would like to point out that many people have a confused impression about forums held in our area. Some may consider them an occasion for theorisation, big talk and resonant statements, since our area is considered replete with dreams and fancies, poor in action and achievement.

Here is a message for all of us. We have to stop talking about dreams, what must, and what must not be. We have to start talking about procedures, budgets, projects, dates of completion and details of delivery. This is what I expect of this forum. Its message is to provide a serious platform for the Arab world, with the aim of drawing long-term strategies, to initiate work partnership, devise new measures leading to real commitments.

We want to move confidently to the year 2020 and you are capable of building that confidence.

I wish you good luck.