By Hermoine Macura-Noble
Special to The Times Kuwait
On Friday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) commenced its official mourning across the country as the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was laid to rest in the capital. Often described as a kind and gracious leader, the late Sheikh Khalifa will be remembered for his love and commitment to his country and people.
“While people are proud of their achievements, we are proud of being the children of Sheikh Zayed, and while people talk of their history, we speak of the history of giving that began with the formation of the UAE,” said the late president, epitomizing the nations’ approach from the first day it was established to its phase of empowerment, ushering in the birth of a powerful and prosperous nation.
As the UAE observes a forty-day mourning period, with the flag flown at half-mast, many world leaders and diplomats continue to send their condolences, honoring the late President and his outstanding 18-year reign of the UAE, which began on 4th of November 2004, when Sheikh Khalifa assumed power.
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom said: “He will long be remembered by all who work for regional stability, understanding between nations and between faiths, and for the conservation cause.”
From 2004 until his passing, the late Sheikh Khalifa whose track record of achievements spans nearly 35 years, helped the country progress from a foundation phase to the empowerment stage it is in today. Under his leadership, the UAE has topped international competitiveness indexes and has become the second-largest economy in the Arab region, despite its small area and population.
The prudent leadership of the late Sheikh Khalifa contributed to advancing the stature of the UAE as a regional cornerstone for achieving security and stability and promoting peaceful coexistence. The late President had a sharp vision for the Arab Gulf as a strategic region whose security and stability are fundamental to the safety and stability of the world.
Under his leadership, the UAE continued its significant role in deepening cooperation ties between GCC states and their peoples and effectively contributed to the sustainable development drives adopted by the region. The late Sheikh Khalifa was keen on following in the UAE founding fathers’ footsteps, consolidating bridges of cooperation with all Arab nations across all fronts.
During the past years, as many Arab countries faced significant challenges; the UAE contributed to maintaining Arab security, providing all possible means of support for defending Arab causes. In a statement, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity said: “Sheikh Khalifa departed after a journey full of giving, during which he planted goodness, compassion and peace for all of humanity following in the footsteps of his wise father, the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
During the global health pandemic, the UAE has been unswervingly standing by Arab nations in addressing the pandemic’s repercussions by dispatching medical supplies, food, and other humanitarian aid and services. Under the late Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE forged strategic partnerships with emerging economic powers like China, India, and South Korea, while continuing its ties to powerhouses led by the United States and Russia. It also strengthened cooperation relations with the European Union members, notably France, Britain, Germany, and other influential international powers.
Thanks to his wise policies, the UAE has maintained constructive diplomatic relations with about 200 countries worldwide, with the Emirates now hosting around 110 foreign embassies and 75 consulates on its soil. In the first quarter of 2022, the UAE passport was ranked 15th among the world’s top 20 most powerful passports, allowing UAE passport holders to enter 175 destinations around the world visa-free.
Thanks to his leadership, the UAE established partnership ties with various international organizations and institutions and played a prominent role in enabling these entities to carry out their responsibilities, foremost of which is maintaining global security and stability, promoting the language of tolerance and dialogue among peoples, and strengthening the response to emergency humanitarian situations.
On a humanitarian level, the UAE, under the late Sheikh Khalifa, forged ahead by providing foreign aid to various countries around the world to reduce poverty and help governments and societies in need, as well as promoting peace, prosperity, stability, and stimulating economic growth in developing countries. Since its establishment until mid-2021, the UAE has provided more than AED320 billion in foreign aid to about 155 countries across the globe.
On the scientific front, the UAE is the first Arab and Islamic nation to reach the planet Mars and is one among a few countries with significant achievements in the space sector. After assuming power, the late Sheikh Khalifa launched the first strategic plan of the UAE Government to achieve balanced and sustainable development and ensure the wellbeing of UAE residents.
In 2009, he was re-elected as the President of the country, and thanks to his wise leadership, the UAE overcame the financial crises and political issues facing the region due to his active foreign policy, which also enhanced the regional and international stature of the country.
The late Sheikh Khalifa was also passionate about healthcare and ensured most Emirati hospitals were internationally accredited. Today, the UAE has become a leading medical destination, underpinned by the rising number of hospitals, which increased from 16 in 1975 to 169 in 2020. These hospitals are managed by highly qualified medical staff, numbering 8,995 in 2020 in the government sector and 17,136 in the private sector, compared to 792 doctors in 1975.
Under Sheikh Khalifa’s wise leadership, the UAE also prioritized health insurance and provided it to citizens for free, and comprehensive medical coverage for all segments of society, especially the elderly and people with disabilities. In 2017, the UAE established the first cancer treatment center utilizing proton technology in the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The Emirates was also one of the first countries to use robotics in the pharmaceutical sector.
The education sector is another area that flourished under the wise leadership of the late President, Sheikh Khalifa. From 2012, education became mandatory for everyone over the age of six until secondary education, which was reinforced by issuing the Children’s Rights Law, also known as the Wadeema Law. The UAE’s education strategy confirms the establishment of an educational system based on the skills of the 21st century. It aims to provide higher education to compete with the world’s best universities.
A humble leader who loved his people and country, the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be dearly missed and remembered for generations for his unwavering contribution to his beloved country. He will be succeeded by his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was elected unanimously on Saturday.
Hermoine Macura-Noble
The first Australian English speaking News Anchor in the Middle East. She is also the Author of Faces of the Middle East and Founder of US-based 501c3 charity – The House of Rest which helps to ease the suffering of victims of war. For more from our Contributing Editor, you can follow her on Instagram, here.
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