During a statement released on the 35th anniversary of the UAE Armed Forces Unification Day, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum expressed his thanks and appreciation to UAE President and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his dedicated and passionate support of the UAE Armed Forces.
Dear brothers, sons, officers and soldiers of the UAE Armed Forces,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. Once again we are here to celebrate the historic decision that resulted in the unification of our valiant Armed Forces.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your outstanding performance in terms of preparedness, discipline and efficiency. I pay tribute to your sense of duty, perseverance and passion for military knowledge and experience. I am particularly proud of your deep sense of patriotism and genuine allegiance to our wise leadership. I admire your dedication to the sacred mission of strengthening our security and stability and determination to confront threats.
We hold you in great esteem as your self-sacrifice allows us to keep our heads high. Your efforts ensure that our territory, waters and airspace remain intact, while our march towards development and progress persevere as always. We highly commend the loyalty of our citizens to our wise leadership and their deep appreciation of our national achievements, which guarantee security in our younger generation's future.
Dear officers and soldiers,
Nothing makes us feel happier than the national occasions when our hearts are filled with noble values, life, vivid memories and priceless lessons that strengthen the national will, thus allowing it to move forward with confidence and determination.
We give thanks to almighty God for showing us the right path and enabling us to perform good deeds on behalf of our land and people.
The more we recall the glorious day 35 years ago; the deeper we explore the circumstances under which the Armed Forces were united; the more we appreciate the vision of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May God bless his soul. His historic decision on May 6, 1976 cemented the Federation and guaranteed the success of our fledgling state. The late Sheikh Zayed's gradual implementation of this decision reflected a deep appreciation of reality and his genuine understanding of how to carefully introduce changes to attain national goals. His patronage and systematic building of the armed forces reflected his foresight and care to preserve our dignity and render our country impregnable. His efforts forged a secure and stable land, capable of facing all challenges.
Those who witnessed the decision that brought about unification were well aware of the size, structure and condition of our national army during the early stages of formation. Most alarming was the acute shortage of national human resources needed for command, control, planning, organisation, rehabilitation and training. However depressing and frustrating that situation may have been, even to the greatest optimists, it only drove our leadership to work harder and strengthened our determination to succeed. So, in a short space of time, we managed to build these human resources who are in charge today - resources of all ranks, levels and responsibilities who are highly efficient in command, control, planning, execution and management of high-level weaponry and defence systems.
It gives me immense pleasure on this proud occasion to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to my brother, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, May God bless him, for his continuous attention and care for our armed forces and his keenness to provide them with all needed resources, while equipping them with the latest weaponry, knowledge systems and training.
I would also like to thank my brother, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his remarkable role in developing our forces. I commend his relentless follow up and monitoring of their conditions to ensure the highest degree of preparedness, thus allowing them to perform with excellence in carrying out all missions assigned to them by their supreme commander.
Dear officers and soldiers,
You are the cream of the crop in our rich, benevolent, loving, optimistic and highly ambitious country. Today we celebrate our victorious march decorated with achievement borne out of perseverance, dedication and loyalty to your country and your leadership, all of which add up to a long record of success in all fields.
In 'The UAE Book - Multiple Chapters, One Title', the opening chapter sheds light on the leaders that laid the foundation stone of our federal state; those who dedicated their time, money and efforts to strengthen the newly-formed UAE and render it fit to promote goodness, progress and civilization in all over the world.
The second chapter articulates the positive transformation and consolidation resulting from the integration of the seven emirates into one federal state, thus replacing narrow, localized affiliations with a wider, all-encompassing national identity - a step we cherish and take pride in.
The third chapter is about how the UAE embarked on a massive manpower-based economic and social development programme to upgrade the Islamic and tradition-oriented knowledge base, create awareness of optimal techniques to meet local demands, facilitate civilized interaction and make positive contributions to present-day local, regional and international issues.
Officers and soldiers,
Guided by a wise leadership and efficient civil institutions and security agencies, the UAE will continue to remain an oasis of development, progress, security and stability in this ever-changing world and volatile region. It will remain a model for wise, rational leadership and an invincible bulwark promoting the dignity, while allowing its people to live a decent life. It will also be a living example for the Arab countries, Gulf Cooperation Council states and the wider Arab federation.
Brothers and sons,
I would like to seize this opportunity to convey my heartfelt greetings to those who contributed to this country; to your colleagues who perform their military and humanitarian missions; to your superior officers who have the honor of serving. I would also like to convey on your behalf and on behalf of all security agencies and the UAE people, my congratulations to my brother His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, my brothers, Their Highnesses and Members of the Supreme Federal Council and Rulers of the Emirates. Here and now we renew our pledge and allegiance to our leadership and our beloved country.
May God grant your efforts every success.
