Sheikh Mohammed's statement to Dira'a Al Watan on Unification Day

Sheikh Mohammed issued a statement to Dira'a Al Watan on the 28th anniversary of the unification of the UAE Armed Forces.

Brothers, officers and members of the valiant Armed Forces, may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon you.

It is wonderful to commemorate this glorious national occasion and to renew our pledge of loyalty to our beloved homeland and its wise leaders, who have given our people glory, honour, independence and sovereignty. The anniversary of the unification of the Armed Forces is indeed a beloved event in our country's history, which is rich in a variety of achievements that our people must protect, develop and defend so that they become a symbol of our nation's independence of which present and future generations can be proud.

Brothers, we have achieved miracles in a short span of time, because though this country is small in terms of population, to others it appears large, attracting people near and far and inspiring respect, not because of its military power but because of its economic, technological and cultural achievements. It sets an example for other countries, which look forward to building bridges of cooperation with us so that they can benefit from our experience, expertise and success, which has made headlines in Arab and international media reports. It is the story of a nation that was determined to enter the race, compete for first place and win against those who have experience with the economy, industry, technology, architecture, tourism, sports and even culture and science.

Our country, praise be to Allah and thanks to its leader's efforts and guidance, has been able to draw up... a carefully studied strategy to achieve our goals without carelessness or arrogance before it is too late.

Brothers, our country's achievements and potential are great; we should not give them away or leave them to the greedy. It is the duty of everyone - the young and the old, women and men, army and security and all other powers - to protect the gifts that Allah has bestowed upon us. This means that you, the members of our Armed Forces, must work hard... and develop your military skills with training and by studying military science so that you can perform your national and pan-Arab duty anytime and anywhere.

Development - both economic and structural - requires strong arms and creative minds as well as determination and effort if we are to know success, to keep our country at the forefront and to prove that ours is a civilised, peace-loving nation that reaches out to others.

Our Armed Forces, now celebrating the 28th anniversary of their unification, take this opportunity to congratulate President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah protect him; Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the people of the UAE.

May peace and the blessings of Allah be upon you.

WAM