On the occasion of the 44th National Day of the UAE, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a statement to Dira'a Al Watan magazine.
Below is the statement in full:
"In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful,
Dear citizens,
On the occasion of our 44th National Day, I would like to greet the people of this nation as well as my brothers President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members; and Rulers of the Emirates.
I also extend my greetings to the commanders, officers and soldiers of our courageous Armed Forces and our vigilant security services who are protecting our country, its people and guests.
We also pay tribute to our loyal martyrs who have obtained a place in Paradise with their valour and sacrifice and will forever occupy a place in the heart of our nation; and their families who have a strong faith in God and have been steadfast in their loyalty to the nation. To these people I would like to say: Your sons granted you, your country and its people an unrivalled honour and revived the memory of our forefathers who sacrificed their lives to protect this land.
Almighty Allah selected the martyrs to be in Heaven and to be a source of honour for us, as their deeds shall bless our country and its people.
Our martyrs' lives continue to inspire our young generation. They have lived their lives as sincere men who have been true to their covenant with Allah and have not wavered even slightly in their determination. These are the stories of heroic fathers, brothers, cousins, fellow tribesmen and compatriots.
The martyrs and their fellow servicemen demonstrate once again that Emiratis are ready to face up to challenges wherever they may arise and to the ups and downs of life, however severe, and that they are generous both in good times and in bad, and in times of peace and war.
Emiratis have proven that they are capable of advancing development and achieving transformation, and that they are not only magnanimous but also resolute.
They showed their true character when they responded to the call of duty and proved that prosperity has not made us idle, but rather it has strengthened and inspired us to work to preserve and protect them.
Dear citizens, Our martyrs have added a sublime dimension to our National Day celebrations, and from now on, the National Day and Martyrs Day will be celebrated together to highlight their exceptional dedication and patriotism, and to uphold the values of generous giving, as martrydom is an unrivalled honour, and sacrificing one's life for the homeland is the most sublime offering.
The martyrs have honoured both our history and our present, and revived the memories of those who were martyred in the past and became guiding stars, enlightening our present and future, showing us the way and encouraging us to give our utmost to our nation.
The martyrs ennobled our Armed Forces as they embodied the ethics of national service and revived the spirit of sacrifice.
Greetings to the servicemen, the comrades of the martyrs, and to all commanders, officers and soldiers for responding to the call of duty and showing their efficiency and professionalism in Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope.
The performance of the air, land and sea services of the UAE Armed Forces proves once again that our approach to development was efficient and right. The building of a modern national army of the highest level of professionalism was a top priority at the time of the establishment of the UAE Federation which was declared on this day 44 years ago by the country’s Founding Father, the symbol of the Union, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah bless his soul. This became even more important during the stage of empowerment and excellence led by my brother, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and supervised by my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Dear people, since our state was established, we have continued to commit ourselves to the principles of international law, seek peaceful co-existence with our neighbours, expand our friendship with all the countries of the world and reject the use of force, or the threat of force, to resolve disputes and settle conflicts.
At the same time, we are interested in building our capabilities to protect our country, independence and successes, and ward off anyone who plans to assault or damage our security and stability.
We were and will always be the people of peace, growth and development. But we will counter whoever plots evil acts against us. We will resist them using all our force, and if war is imposed on us, we will fight. We have never embarked on aggression on others, but we are always ready to counter whoever attempts to attack us.
Our forces taking part in Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope are fighting a war that was imposed on us. We and our Arab brothers responded to the call of Yemen’s legitimate government to defeat the aggression before it takes over the country, and stop its treacherous fire from setting the region ablaze and posing serious threats to the stability, security and achievements of the states of this region.
The aggressors do not recognise the fact that the shared security of GCC member states is part and parcel of Arab security. They also fail to recognise that the security of the GCC countries is closely connected with the security of Yemen and that the GCC countries will not allow Yemen to become a threat to their security and stability. Since the situation in Yemen escalated in early 2011, the GCC countries have been trying to help Yemenis get out of the spiral of conflict and violence, and to promote reconciliation and development. The GCC exerted efforts for Yemen on two tracks: a political track represented by the GCC Initiative, and an economic track as part of which conferences for Yemen donors and Friends of Yemen were held. Thanks to the successes achieved on both tracks, Yemen was put back on the path of peace, reconstruction and growth, until the coup against the legitimate government took place undermining all these achievements and posing a permanent threat to the security of Saudi Arabia and all other members of the GCC, which are seeking to bring positive change in the Arab region.
As the Arab Coalition continues to achieve its goals following its success in restoring legitimacy to most of Yemen, we look forward to the end of this war based on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216, rooting out the evil, restoring Yemen to its people, and beginning, with the help of its Arab brotherly countries, the process of reconstruction already initiated in the liberated areas.
Dear citizens, In addition to our necessary intervention in the Yemeni crisis, we have played a positive role in other growing crises in other Arab countries that represent a crucial and historic transition phase that will determine the destiny of Arabs and the future of security and stability not only of the Middle East, but also the whole world.
Our success in countering these challenges requires stronger GCC unity and unified stances on Arab crises so that differences would not undermine the achievements made by the GCC, in particular our domestic achievements. I pin great hopes on our leaders and the 36th GCC Summit, to be held in a few days’ time in Riyadh.
Dear sons and daughters: As we play our role in Yemen and counter the challenges that the Arab region is facing, we never forget that these challenges do not imply only risks, but also avenues for development. We in the UAE see several such avenues and spare no effort to join hands with our brothers as we recognise the nature of the perils facing the Arab nation.
We do recognise the possibility of building a new pan-Arab dispensation that preserves the security of the Arab people, protects their rights, and curbs foreign interference in their affairs and gives them a positive and effective role in their region where regional powers are vying for influence, and international powers are jostling to achieve their own interests, unconcerned about the interests and fate of others.
The crisis that the Syrian people are going through is the best instance here. The Arab countries which succeeded in building a coalition around Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope can be the core of this pan-Arab regional dispensation.
We think that there is a need to highlight straightforward religion and promote the role it plays in unifying our nation and stimulating its growth and progress. Plug the gaps through which extremism, fanaticism, terrorism and hatred can enter. We have no alternative but to engage in a confrontation with those who use religion to achieve goals that are not endorsed by the religion. Those who distorted our religion, more than the enemies of our religion ever could, have inflicted on all Muslims damages that are unprecedented in terms of scale, depth and consequences.
In these spheres, we don’t have the luxury of choice, or avoiding or postponing the choice of a certain option, because the Arabs are at a crucial crossroads in their history. Our only choice is to take advantage of opportunities and join hands with our brothers to take our nation to safety, development and growth.
Dear citizens, the external challenges we face have received the attention they deserve from our government and people, but this has not been at the expense of our attention to internal affairs. Rather, they have encouraged us to work harder to achieve greater successes in all areas of national work. Your government has further enhanced its approach to strategic planning, launch of new projects and new initiatives, as well as the adoption of government best practices, execution of plans, the pursuit of innovation, and the promotion of empowerment, excellence and development.
The 43rd year of our federation saw new achievements that helped enhance our citizens' capabilities, boosted comprehensive sustainable development, strengthened the stature of our country and helped it achieve higher rankings on global indicators of overall development and competitiveness. For instance, our country is one of the world's top ten countries in 12 out of 21 indicators of government work, quality of decision making, lack of bureaucracy, government priority for travel and tourism sectors and quality of road networks. It also ranked second globally on indicators such as citizens’ confidence in government and leadership next only to Singapore, which has occupied the top place for many years.
Our country has advanced in key areas like research, development and innovation and can hold its own among countries with innovation-based economies, including global leaders like the US, Germany, Switzerland and Singapore. It also maintained its ranking as the second best in the world in terms of quality of infrastructure, and advanced to third place on the indicators of foreign direct investment, technology transfer and ability to retain talent. It also advanced from 18th to the 9th place in internet access at schools, from 14th to 11th in quality of nurseries, and from 15th to 12th in the quality of the educational system and efficient training of education staff.
As usual, we approved the 2016 federal budget early as part of the second three-year cycle (2014-2017) in line with the government's strategy to continue to rationalise financial spending, and maximise returns, efficiency and transparency. The federal government budget, estimated at AED48.556 billion was approved with zero deficit, with the largest part of it being devoted to sectors serving Emiratis.
As part of our strategy for ensuring the UAE keeps pace with critical global trends in fields such as energy, advanced technology and knowledge-based economy, we have launched the Emirates Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Policy, which includes 100 national initiatives in the educational sector, health, energy, transportation, space and water. The plan will see an investment of over AED300 billion and includes new national policies in legislation, investment, technology, education and finance. Our goal is to build a vibrant knowledge economy in the UAE. The plan is aimed at capacity-building, nurturing talent, promoting a national culture that is conducive to innovation, entrepreneurship and providing services that advance the quality of life and opening up new growth avenues for our economy.
Our country, which ranks first in the Arab region in terms of innovation, is determined to be among the best in the world in this field in the coming few years as innovation is the critical factor driving global economic growth today and in the future. The more we spread the culture of innovation in our society, schools, universities and public and private sectors, the stronger, more effective and competitive our presence in these sectors will become.
These initiatives and projects provide us with additional tools to accelerate and complete our shift to a knowledge-based economy, expand our economy, deepen economic diversity, promote higher growth rates in non-oil sectors so that we can minimise the impact of falling oil prices, and further advance growth and sustainability.
In this context, fuel subsidies were cut to also promote the green economy, a pillar of sustainable development and diversification of income. We are confident that this decision will increase the efficient use of energy and resources, curb emissions and environmental pollution, encourage investment in renewable energy, enhancing our country's leadership in this field and our goal to produce 24% of our electricity from clean energy by 2021.
Dear citizens, it is difficult here to mention all our successes and achievements during the year, but I would like to highlight key milestones.
The initiative of my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, to establish The Martyrs' Families' Affairs Office, MFAO, at the Court of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince was the most important, as it shows that our people take pride in the martyrs and appreciate their noble actions. The initiative also created an institutional framework to honour the martyrs, celebrate their memory, take full care of their children and families, fulfill their needs and promote their welfare. The office further demonstrates the cohesion between the UAE leaders and citizens and enhances our national solidarity and our loyalty to the nation.
This year, we also succeeded in securing visa-free entry to the EU Schengen zone for our citizens. This exemption from visa requirements reflects the stature and good reputation of our state and represents an acknowledgment of the efficiency of our government and security institutions and the positive traits of Emiratis.
I thank HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister, and his team for their high professionalism and continuous efforts, which made this possible.
Another important milestone this year was the successful third National Federal Council elections, which featured an expansion of the electoral college from 129,274 in 2011 to 224,304.
The elections saw Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi being elected as the Speaker of the Council. Al Qubaisi has become the first Arab woman to hold this post, an achievement that shows the success of our approach in empowering women and our efforts to bolster their role in all national fields on an equal basis with men. The helps to advance political development and increase its role in comprehensive development and the national empowerment programme launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Another milestone this year was the enactment and enforcement of the anti-discrimination law, the first of its kind in our region and in the wider Arab region. It represents an important new achievement in our legislation on human rights and duties. The law, which reflects the civilisational advancement of our country, is an important one as it was based on Islamic Sharia and embodies our values and traditions that puts emphasis on sound ethical values, which are the key pillars of our religion. The new law adds to our assets, the strength of our social fabric as well as the mechanisms of protecting our country and people from the plagues of fanaticism, discrimination and hate spread by extremist and terrorist ideologies and ignorance, in Arab and Muslim countries as well as across the globe.
On the occasion of the National Day, as we recall the journey of establishing our state and society, we are overwhelmed with pride in the vibrant UAE model of development that has led to several achievements, and resulted in strengthening our sense of national loyalty and belonging. We also recall the challenges that we faced, all of which we were able to overcome, as we become more assured in our approach and policies and more confident about our present and future.
Challenges do not frighten or confuse us, rather they stimulate us to develop our assets and will power and double our efforts in work, and enhance our skills, initiative and innovation. They also encourage us to strengthen our unity, solidarity, vigilance and ability to give to the nation.
I stress here that your leaders continue to look to the future and be prepared to confront any challenges, full of hope, relying on our trust in Allah, and in your abilities and your commitment to work for the glory of your country, its security, stability and success.
Let us all pray to Almighty Allah, thank and glorify Him and ask Him to continue to bless our work, to boost our success and guide us to the right path.
