President Sheikh Mohamed has unveiled a new national day to celebrate the “life and legacy” of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The UAE leader said Zayed the Founder Day – which will be marked on January 7 – would pay homage to Sheikh Zayed's “vision, generosity and service to humanity”.
Sheikh Mohamed said the annual occasion would serve as an opportunity to ensure Sheikh Zayed's values continue to play a crucial role in guiding the country's progress.
“The UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, forever remains in the hearts of the people of the UAE,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X.
“As he led efforts to establish the Union, laid its foundations, and nurtured its development, his life and legacy were defined by his vision, generosity, and service to humanity.
“Today, we declare 7 January as Zayed the Founder Day, a new annual national occasion dedicated to celebrating his enduring legacy, transforming wisdom into action, and ensuring these values continue to inspire our nation on its steadfast path of progress towards the future.”
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, hailed the UAE's latest step to champion Sheikh Zayed's critical role in the birth of a nation.
“The announcement by His Highness the President establishing Zayed the Founder Day renews the legacy of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, and the values upon which our nation was built,” Sheikh Mansour wrote on X.
“The greatest tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed is that his vision lives within us, and his values remain firmly rooted in generations to come.”
Unifying vision
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UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah of Iran, at the First Opec Summit in Algiers on March 4, 1975. Getty Images -
Sheikh Zayed in Kuwait City on January 26, 1987. Getty Images -
President Sheikh Mohamed watches on as Emmanuel Macron, President of France, signs the guestbook at the Zayed National Museum as part of his working visit to the UAE last week. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
The Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Mosque, commonly known as the Stockholm Mosque, is the largest in the Swedish capital. Getty Images -
Runners step out for the Zayed Charity Cairo Marathon on December 30, 2023. Getty Images -
The Children’s National Medical Centre in Washington houses the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation. The National
Sheikh Zayed served as the UAE's first president after uniting the emirates to form a new nation on December 2, 1971.
He oversaw the country's rapid rise on the regional and global stage in the years that followed, proving hugely influential in the nation's transformation.
He would become a familiar figure on the world stage until his death on the 19th day of Ramadan in 2004, with his contributions still felt across the Emirates and beyond.
Abu Dhabi's landmark Zayed National Museum – which opened to coincide with National Day celebrations last year – highlights how the UAE has sought to promote and preserve Sheikh Zayed's legacy.
During Sheikh Zayed's time as Ruler of Abu Dhabi and UAE President, the country’s humanitarian and development aid reached more than Dh90 billion and 117 of the 193 countries represented in the UN, Wam reported.
This generosity is reflected in the huge number of institutions and projects on every continent that honour Sheikh Zayed’s name.
