Month: March 2012

Brothers and sisters, on my way now to the Cabinet meeting, I feel that much positive energy is running throughout the UAE. It is an energy filled with love, giving and work. I call upon everyone without exception to direct their momentums to build a future carrying welfare and prosperity for us, our children and our families. We ask God to reward us for our endeavors to develop the UAE. These were the words of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum while on his way to the Cabinet meeting yesterday through his Twitter account. These were inspiring words for the sons and daughters of this nation who follow the Prime Minister, his high spirits, messages and calls. Through these words, I was certain about the positive results that the meeting will yield. Through this message, I realized the amount of work and efforts exerted by the Cabinet to serve the nation and its people, the national priorities.

We all have to realize the responsibility upon our shoulders to maintain this nation, enhance its abilities, further its accomplishments and continue the process of overall development adopted by the state in a way that impressed the entire world. We should continue achieving successes and adding new scenes of creativity and innovation. This is the goal that our leaders constantly seek to achieve. No one should think that the accomplishments of our country and achievements of the government and leadership are their concern only. No one should think that the process of building a developed nation is the responsibility of the leaders and government only; the citizen is directly concerned with the reputation, achievements and strong global standing of the UAE which we are very proud of among nations and peoples worldwide. Our responsibility is to contribute with our strength, determination and perseverance in the challenge undertaken by our state. With the strength of the sons and daughters of the nation, developmental building takes place and the wheel of overall development on which the state relies since the formation of the union shall keep rotating. The UAE was and still is a model and example that is followed in different arenas. It is a valuable harvest that we should maintain and ameliorate by hard and honest work. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s message calling for directing our energies to build a future carrying welfare for us, our children and families to develop the UAE should be our guide towards prosperity, work, success and progress, which we aim to achieve. Through work, devotion and commitment, the boundless ambitions of the UAE can be achieved. The UAE always accepted challenges calling for building and accomplishment to achieve glory for this nation and its people. This love was instilled in each of us by our leaders who encourage us to be in the leading position and always in pursue of more achievements, successes and pride for our cherished UAE. If these were the ambitions of the Cabinet and its leaders, there is no doubt that they are correctly leading our nation towards glory and progress.

It was at the beginning of the seventies of the past century that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum toured the city and examined the conditions of people by land and air as we saw in a footage broadcasted yesterday by the Media Office through a channel for Sheikh Mohammed on YouTube showing HH flying a helicopter on a tour over Dubai.

At the time, he was neither a ruler nor a crown prince. He was the Minister of Defense, but he sought to know by himself the needs of people, and thus he approached them and still does. Rising in positions did not change him, but his actions sprang from his own beliefs rather than pretentious actsto seek fame

I meant to start my article by mentioning the time period when HH was examining the conditions of citizens in a desert area that looked remote. At that time, the human rights organizations knew nothing about this area or this part of the world. There were no social network sites; there was no Twitter; there was no Facebook. There were only rulers who loved their people and people who were loyal to their land and rulers.

The field trips and the open door policy are the main elements. The interaction of the ruler with his people was what that generation experienced. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has pursued the policy of his father and ancestors in communicating with his people, understanding their needs, reaching out to them, visiting their houses to fulfill their needs, giving them rides in his plane to their remote areas in the seventies and he still drives them in his car. In that footage, we saw him talking with an old man and drinking coffee. Some years ago, we saw him with that old man sitting together on a bare floor. He asked that man about what he needed 40 years ago and he built a new house for him and furnished it some years ago. This is only one example but HH’s acts of benevolence are countless. He did not do that for fame or glory, but because he is a ruler who performs his responsibilities and the duties entailed by his position. He gives people their rights as granted by the State.

Neither he nor Sheikh Zayedwerefortunetellers. They had insight. Zayed did not listen to what experts had to say when they warned him about desert reclamation. They were later amazed at the different types of plants and trees that grew throughout Abu Dhabi. Mohammed bin Rashid was inspecting muddy and empty areas by air but he was aware that this land will one day carry huge projects transforming Dubai from a small unknown city into a developed city competing with and exceling over major cities worldwide.

Our rulers are humans like us. This is their main feature that many are missing. They are humans who walk among us, examine people’s conditions, sit with citizens, eat their food, celebrate with them and share their grief. They are also aware that there are changes and gaps which they continuously seek to adapt to and fill.

Our leaders have the wisdom, foresight and ability to envision the future, which makes the fatherly speech delivered by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, an extension of the intellectual speeches that were given by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyab, may God bless his soul.

The speech of HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah, which he gave to the young people is deemed an “intellectual framework” and an honest motivator of work that benefits the nation and the citizen. It is a treasure of wisdom delivered by HH to his sons, the young people of this cherished nation.

Our responsibility is large in extracting the lessons and morals from the words of HH, the Ruler of Sharjah. All the institutions operating throughout the State also have a major role in education and raising awareness. This role should not be limited to educational and cultural institutions as it is a national and collective responsibility imposed on everyone. All officials should handle it with utmost seriousness and care.

Today’s young people need actual and ongoing awareness which should start at home, continue at school and university and all stages that our youth go through to protect them from falling victims to the media and foreign agendas that try to use our youth to serve their goals.

 

Note: This article was published in Al Khaleej newspaper, Page 9, Issue 11998, Date 25/3/2012