On the occasion of the UAE's 46th National Day, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that the leadership will stay the course laid down by the nation's founding fathers and continue to deepen the Spirit of the Union, which was motivated by the aspirations of the people.

In a statement to Nation Shield, the Armed Forces' monthly journal, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa also spoke about the approaching ''Year of Zayed'' in 2018, which will mark 100 years since the birth of the founding father, UAE News Agency (WAM) reported.

HH the President said that "preparing for the future – near or far – starts today, not tomorrow," urging the Emirati people to make the year "one for loyalty and belonging, as well as for the enhancement of creative and innovative practices that enable our state to become a pivotal actor regionally and globally