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Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has delivered a keynote speech on the last day of the World Government Summit in Dubai.
In Wednesday's session open to select delegates and officials, Sheikh Saif spoke about the growth of the UAE over the years, climate change, how the country earned the right to be selected to host Cop28, the large 'Emirates family' and paid tribute to the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, attended the session.
The session was titled 'The Emirates: A Family of Solid Roots and a Vibrant Future'.
Sheikh Saif reflected on recent economic progress, tourism growth and the nation's status as a global hub for trade and thanked the country's rulers for their leadership.
'Emirates family'
The Emirates, he said, was a "family" comprised every nationality that continues to attract the brightest and best from all over the world.
He said the confidence of the leaders in the “Emirates family” had guided the country to excel in various sectors, such as environment, economy, trade and tourism.
He said the success of a cohesive structure had put the country in a leading position on the world map.
Based on the vision of its leaders, the UAE has presented the world with a model of what integrative work can do, he said.
“The Emirates family, with the support from the leadership, government and society across all segments, have nurtured an environment that preserved solid roots, from which the country went global,” he said.
The UAE, he said, was the first choice to host more than 6,000 events, many of which were international. Dubai topped the world’s cities in tourism revenue, exceeding $29 billion last year, he said.
Sheikh Saif pointed out that the UAE was the preferred destination for more than 200 million Arab youths to build a life in the country.
“It’s impossible to become a world number one unless there is a base from where to start, which is the right family,” he said.
Sheikh Saif urged the people of the UAE — whether ministers, government officials, private sector employees and heads of families — to continue contributing to the Emirates family.
“Ask yourself every day, every week and every month, what have you done for the Emirates family? What did you do for the country?” he asked.
Saving the environment for the future generation
Sheikh Saif said the UAE’s dedication to climate change had been at the core of its heritage since its foundation, earning the country the right to host Cop28 this year.
“In 1981, the UAE issued the first law to preserve the environment, and in 1995, the world honoured the late UAE Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for his environmental contributions locally and globally. It was that same year that the UN launched the first Cop to educate the world about the environment,” he said.
“The Emirates family believes in the risks that environmental pollution poses on the universe and people’s well-being. It believes in its destructive impact on the nation.”
Sheikh Saif also offered his condolences to the victims of last week's devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, with the death toll to date at more than 40,000.
The World Government Summit concluded on Wednesday after 300 speakers — heads of state, ministers, government officials and leaders — discussed pressing issues and reviewed current and future challenges.
It featured more than 22 international forums and 220 panel discussions.
World Government Summit 2023 - in pictures
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Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, concludes the World Government Summit with a talk entitled 'The Emirates: A Family of Solid Roots and a Vibrant Future'. WAM -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, listens to Sheikh Saif. WAM -
Najla Bouden, Prime Minister of Tunisia, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Seychelles, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Maeen Saeed, Prime Minister of Yemen and Panagiotis Pikrammenos, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece, at the summit. Photo: Presidential Court -
Joko Widodo, President, Government of the Republic of Indonesia speaking at the World Government Summit held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Huda AlHashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, United Arab Emirates during the interview at the World Government Summit held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Left to Right - Nasser Al-Khater, Chief Executive Officer, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Najeeb AlAli, Executive Director, Expo 2020 Bureau speaking during the session on Hosting Major Events: An Arab Success Story at the World Government Summit held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Elon Musk and Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, speak on day three of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Mr Al Gergawi is also chairman of the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group, speaking during a session called 'Beyond 2023: A Global Outlook'. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates gather at Madinat Jumeirah for the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, presents the World Data Visualisation Award to Lindsey Poulter. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, addresses delegates at the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
National flags displayed at the global event. Pawan Singh / The National -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the event using a video link. Antonie Robertson / The National -
People gather for the second day of the summit. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Huda Al Hashimi, right, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, on stage with Waleed Al Ali, left, Secretary General of the Digital School, and Reda Hegazy, Egypt's Minister of Education. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Cop28 President-designate, speaks during a session titled The Road Map to Cop28: Prioritising Action. Pawan Singh / The National -
Dr Al Jaber, who is also the UAE's special envoy for climate change, addresses delegates in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Day two of the World Government Summit. Antonie Robertson/The National -
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Digital Economy, AI and Remote Work System, and Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs at Meta, at the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates at the World Government Summit held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National newspaper, Kersti Kaljulaid, fifth President of Estonia, and Mona Al Marri, vice president of the UAE Gender Balance Council. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates during the session on Women in Government: Powering the Future. Pawan Singh / The National -
President Sheikh Mohamed, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Sheikh Mohamed greets Mr El Sisi. Photo: Presidential Court -
Mr El Sisi presents the Global Best M-Gov Award to the winners as Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, looks on. Photo: Presidential Court -
Mr El Sisi presents the Global Best M-Gov Award. Photo: Presidential Court -
Mr El Sisi presents the Global Best M-Gov Award. Photo: Presidential Court -
Sky News Arabia's media relations director Faisal bin Huraiz sits alongside Mr El Sisi at the summit. EPA -
Francesco La Camera, Director General of International Renewabale Energy Agency, speaks at the summit. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence at the summit. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Mohamed Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Marco Dunand, CEO and Co-founder, Mercuria Energy Group. Antonie Robertson/The National -
Christian Bruch, President and CEO, Siemens Energy. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Ahmed Bahrozyan, chief executive of the Public Transport Agency at the RTA. Antonie Robertson / The National -
RTA's flyng taxi and sky port project powered by Joby. Virtual simulation of the flying experience. Antonie Robertson / The National -
will.i.am speaking during the session on Accelerating Tech: The New Frontier for Policy-making at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Doron Avni, Google VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy Emerging Markets speaking during the session on Accelerating Tech: The New Frontier for Policy-making at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sujay Jaswa, Founder and Managing Partner, WndrCo speaking during the session on Accelerating Tech: The New Frontier for Policy-making at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the chairman of the World Government Summit, delivers the opening speech. Pawan Singh / The National -
Al Gergawi highlighted the rapid change the world has seen in the decade since the event was first held. Pawan Singh / The National -
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, speaks at the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili speaks at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Al Gergawi and Schwab held a joint discussion. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates standing during the moment of silence for the Turkey – Syria earthquake before the start of World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates at the World Government Summit held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
