Mohammed's speech on the 35th National Day
The following is an edited translation of Sheikh Mohammed's speech on the UAE's 35th National Day.
My brother, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, my brothers, Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the emirates, kind audience; today’s celebration on the 35th anniversary of UAE National Day is not merely a celebration that comes every year; rather it’s a celebration of what we have achieved over the past 35 years through continuous hard work, which has resulted in the progress, glory and greatness we enjoy today.
The anniversary of this great day is no longer a fortuitous one that we celebrate every year; rather it is carved in our hearts and minds, and in the memories of the successive generations who have lived and are still living through the age of our enormous accomplishments, and witness the prestigious position our country is in today; a position of which we are proud. On this day, on which the sun of our federation shines, after we united our words and willpower; we remember, with appreciation and glory, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the founders of our federation and engineers of our prosperity, who, thanks to their wisdom, persistence and vision, built this great structure under which we find shade.
The path of glory, building and development continues and will continue under the leadership of my brother, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who, last December, launched an ambitious national work programme, in which he defined our national goals to succeed economically, socially and developmentally.
Our boundless ambition, brothers, is to meet the aspirations of our citizens by providing them with dignified and stable lives. We work in the spirit of unity, under the leadership and guidance of my brother, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the advancement and progress of our beloved country.
We celebrate today, not only to commemorate a cherished anniversary, but also to contemplate what we have achieved on our long journey toward development and progress. We look forward to a new phase of creative and innovative work, and renew our determination, energy and unity to continue sustainable development until we achieve excellence in all our work.
His Highness the President, my brothers, Their Highnesses the Sheikhs, thank Allah, during the past year, we have taken giant steps in forming strategies and policies to ensure the improvement and modernization of government performance to meet international standards. We have adopted comprehensive modernization programmes at both federal and local levels, and established cohesive systems that keep pace with the requirements of modern life. We were very pleased with the voter registration at the electoral colleges, and the nominations for the first parliamentary elections in our country. This came in response to the historical decision of our wise leadership to establish the Federal National Council and provide all citizens with the opportunity to participate in political decision making and nation building.
This participation reflects the nation’s desire to make the election a success. This experience has been characterized by the participation of women, extending the effective role of women in our country. The decision to have elections came from the belief of the country’s leadership in the importance of having wider and more effective participation by UAE citizens in the building and development process, so as to preserve our achievements.
Strengthening our federal march, adhering to national unity and the continuation of sustainable development, call for the enhancement of existing cooperation between the federal and local authorities. We look forward to more reform at a national level.
His Highness the President, my brothers, Their Highnesses the Sheikhs, we are very keen to have executive work programmes based on federal government strategy, through which we can achieve our ambitious goals; to enhance the principle of balanced development and define priorities to reach international performance standards, and to drive achievement in all fields.
We feel very happy about the unprecedented achievements locally, regionally and internationally driven by the country’s economic and financial performance. This is not merely our opinion; rather it’s what international organisations and institutions have noticed. We are witnessing, thank Allah, quality developmental projects on a grand scale in real estate, industry and tourism. We have also succeeded in attracting significant foreign investment, strengthened ties with many countries and organisations, and put our country at the heart of the global economic map; this, by Allah’s Will and the determination of our people, has led to more economic and social prosperity.
The attention we give to human development will remain the most prominent aspect of our work. We firmly believe that nations are built by educated citizens who are aware of their responsibilities; therefore, we have been keen to draw up ambitious plans to regenerate our national human resources, and equip them to continue the path of development, armed with the latest technology and educational means. We have prioritized human development plans, especially in healthcare, housing, social services and education. We look forward to the fact that the programmes and strategies we have drawn up will help develop our educational institutions to international standards. You will witness, in the near future, great and tangible achievements, as our objective is to become a developmental model, where man is given the highest priority, as we favour human development over construction.
I say with all confidence that we are at a new beginning and we are moving firmly towards achieving the objectives we have set, no matter how big the challenges are; to consolidate the path of our federation and enhance our achievements through the directions of our wise leadership, led by my brother President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, together with his brothers Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the emirates and the participation and cooperation of our citizens.
I wish you more progress and success.
