Zayed’s legacy lives on today

The foundations of the UAE remain strong, 11 years after the passing of the founder

A Sheikh Zayed mural on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Henderson / The National

Eleven years have passed since Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the country, passed away. In that time, many Emiratis have grown up and many others have been born, none of whom had the opportunity to learn from the nation’s father directly. It is all the more important, then, that the memory of Sheikh Zayed is preserved. Because, as the years pass and as the UAE grows, it becomes more and more apparent that the firm foundations laid by Sheikh Zayed and the other founding fathers are responsible for the stable, secure and prosperous society we see around us.

There is still much work to be done. Not because there was anything left undone by Sheikh Zayed, but because the union of these seven emirates is continually changing and evolving. There are new challenges abroad and new decisions to be taken at home.

It is in that light that two decisions, reported yesterday, need to be seen. The restructuring of education, as announced by the Cabinet on Sunday, was taken, as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai said, to prepare future generations “to reach number one rank in the world”. In the last decade alone, the workplace has changed so much and the knowledge instilled in future generations needs to change to adapt to that reality.

The same applies to the changes announced to the way the Federal National Council is elected. As promised by the Government, the number of eligible voters has risen from the last poll in 2011, to nearly 225,000 citizens. As Mona Al Bahar, a Dubai member of the current FNC put it, the increase demonstrates the keenness of the Government to ensure “the maximum number of people participating in the nation’s building process”.

Eleven years after our founding father passed away, the country is still developing. The foundations remain firm but each new generation of leaders and citizens continue to build upon it, seeking to make a better country, year on year. That was the strategic vision of Sheikh Zayed – and that is still his legacy.