Khalifa hails giant leap

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that the UAE has made remarkable achievements that have catapulted it to the ranks of advanced nations, thanks to the sincere and tireless efforts spearheaded by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his fellow founding fathers, who toiled in silence to initiate a march whose aims fit with our genuine national values and principles. Addressing the nation in a statement to Diraa Al Watan magazine (Nation Shield), on the UAE’s 40th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa greeted Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of Emirates for their support, and for the care they give to the march of the Union, protecting the country, defending its gains and meeting the aspirations of its people He added that over the last 40 years, the State has channelled all its efforts and potentials to serve its citizens, and it has invested all of its resources and energies in the building of a federal, pioneering modern state in which the values of solidarity, coherence and unity have been deepened, the concepts of work, dedication and participation have been promoted, and in which the sense of belonging and pride in the achievements of the glorious federal march has been upheld. “The Union is the fruit of a good tree planted by our fathers who dreamed of the idea with hope, took care of it with their dedication to raise the flag of the Union as high as they could and strengthened its pillars,” he said “They are really the spirit of the Union; from their life and history “The generations will draw lessons and will continue to carry the responsibility under the eyes of a glorious nation that takes pride in its past, its giving present and promising future.” Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid said that sound vision, long term determination and indomitable will have helped the UAE to attain the excellence and leadership in various fields. In a statement to Diraa Al Watan wagazine, he added that since the dawn of the second of December 1971, the wheel of development outlined by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and the UAE people, had not stopped, since it is continued and sustained by President Sheikh Khalifa and the UAE people. “The celebration of our people of the National Day every year is accompanied by addition of new blocks to the structure of our prestigious country, not only by raising slogans, or adornment, or the suspension of work in the ministries and national institutions, but through the celebration, we mark what we have achieved so far in the areas of human resources, urban development, culture, services, health and education,” he said. His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, sent greetings to Sheikh Khalifa and to Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates Sheikh Sultan will return to the country from Paris following a successful minor surgery he underwent there. He ordered an increase in the salaries of the employees of the Sharjah government, similar to that of the federal government employees. Sheikh Sultan praised Sheikh Khalifa’s orders to increase salaries of the federal government employees. Sheikh Sultan said the UAE has scored several achievements, but the greatest achievements of all are still awaited, citing the recent Federal National Council (FNC) parliamentary elections in which Emiratis took part. “It is a new experience that tested the country’s will under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.” He called on the UAE people to sustain the Union, indicating that there are no rooms to the small entities. “United we stand, divided we fall.”