Government | Monday 3 December, 2018 3:49 am |

 Under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, Crown Princes and Deputy Rulers, attended the official celebration of the 47th National Day on Sunday evening at the Zayed Sport City in Abu Dhabi.

Held under the theme 'This is Zayed. This is the UAE', the event saw the attendance of Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi of Sharjah, Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of Ajman, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi of Fujairah, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla of Umm Al Quwain, and Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah.

In attendance also were H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council, FNC, H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, H.H. Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, H.H. Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative, H.H. Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.H. Sheikh Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs, ZHO, H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport,H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, General Ahmed Qayed Saleh, Deputy Defence Minister of Algeria Minister, Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Sheikhs, ministers and senior officials.

Their Highnesses the Supreme Council members and Rulers of the Emirates, Crown Princes and Deputy Rulers, extended greetings to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the occasion, praying Allah Almighty to grant him good health and keep him for his nation and people so as to pursue the comprehensive development process and lead the country towards more building, progress and prosperity.

The celebration, attended by over 22,000 people, opened with a tribute to the rich legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, marking 100 years since his birth. The event also saw rare photos, chronicling Sheikh Zayed's life, his love to the nature and the people, displayed for the first time.

The event also highlighted poems written by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and other poems. One of the poems, written by the late Mohammed bin Hamm, a long time companion of the UAE Founding Father, in which he referred to how Sheikh Zayed looked like his grandfather Zayed the First and how he inherited from him the leadership qualities. Also highlighted was Sheikh Zayed's relations with his late mother Sheikha Salama bint Butti and how she helped shape his strong personality and his wisdom.

Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, the President's Representative, who was also UAE's first Foreign Minister, recalled his time with Sheikh Zayed.

The audience reacted vigorously when audio recordings of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan speeches were played.

As the National Anthem played, a panoramic human map of the UAE federation map, as envisaged by Sheikh Zayed and the other founding fathers, was formed by 300 of the UAE Armed Forces personnel.

The event also saw statements by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Bahrain, Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Bahrain, Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Executive Director of the Martyrs' Families' Affairs Office of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and an archive statement by the late Mubarak bin Quran Al Mansouri, former member of the National Consultative Council.

The event closed with a footage of the late Sheikh Zayed addressing his people and a tweet by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, using the hashtag: #zayed_taught_me, calling on the citizens and residents to express what values they have learnt from Zayed.

The hashtag will remain open to the public to express their love for the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, bring the 'Year of Zayed into a worthy culmination.