What does 2018 Year of Zayed mean?

2016 was the Year of Reading | 2017 was the Year of Giving | 2018 will be the Year of Zayed #yearofzayed #2018zayed #rakiswow

This is because 2018 will mark 100 years since the birth of the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan.

The year will not only be about remembering all that Sheikh Zayed did to form the UAE of today, but it will also, like with the Year of Giving, be about instilling his values across the community.

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that 2018 being the Year of Zayed will mean it’s all about “tolerance”. “The UAE’s image is founded on a core belief system of tolerance and coexistence,” he explained. “Nations across the world call to uphold and strengthen this belief in light of the growing fanaticism and hatred that threatens international peace and security.”

The UAE’s President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that the union Sheikh Zayed created between the seven emirates “was based on unity and solidarity to build a progressive society that benefits everyone, and in which people live in security and stability”.

2016 was the Year of Reading

2017 the Year of Giving

2018 will be the Year of Zayed

“The late Shaikh Zayed established a global school of tolerance and coexistence because he knew that from the Union’s beginnings, the UAE’s uniqueness lay in its ability to welcome different races, religions, and cultures without abandoning its social and cultural identity. The principles in which the late ruler believed, and strived for, were aimed at creating a world of coexistence and peace,” he added.

Sheikh Khalifa has said that during the year the people of the UAE will be encouraged to uphold the “noble values instilled in them by the late Sheikh Zayed, including those of wisdom, respect, determination, loyalty, a sense of belonging to the nation, and a willingness to make sacrifices at whatever cost”.

Born in 1918 to the Bani Yas tribe in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the president of the UAE in 1971, a role he maintained until he passed away in 2004. It’s safe to say that he saw the country completely transform under his rule.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE, explained why Sheikh Zayed very much represents the UAE of today (and tomorrow): “Sheikh Zayed has instilled in us the willpower and determination to challenge and achieve the impossible. This is why we are always convinced that we are capable of being pioneers and to become one of the best countries in the world. He inspired us to see his way to the future, to follow in his footsteps with confidence and insight, and to consolidate the gains and achievements.”

Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed added that Sheikh Zayed was a model leader: “He was modest, and he personally checked on the needs of citizens. He would visit their homes and attend their occasions, thereby creating a unique bond with the people, becoming an inspiration to many in our region and the world.”

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