UAE remembers Zayed 10 years after his passing

ABU DHABI // Several activities will be taking place on Ramadan 19th marking the 10th anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s passing.

Zayed Humanitarian Day events will take place at Emirates Palace on July 17 under the patronage and sponsorship of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

General director of the foundation, Mohammed Al Khouri, said the the foundation organises Zayed Humanitarian Day every year to show their love and appreciation to the late Founder.

“The activities will be varied, and will mostly include humanitarian initiatives in the country and outside,” he said.

A series of seminars will take place throughout the seven emirates, run by the Emirates Writers Union headed by Habeeb Al Sayegh.

Mr Al Sayegh said these events would bring together national and Arab writers “to show their love and appreciation through writing”.

The events will begin on Ramadan 12th – Thursday July 10 – and take place across the seven Emirates daily, with each topic discussed in a different emirate. The seminars will have several topics about Sheikh Zayed and a poetry event will be held in the capital on the last day.

“We have ensured the seminar takes place in all seven Emirates to show what Sheikh Zayed has instilled in us,” he said.

Mr Al Sayegh will also be publishing his poetry book on Sheikh Zayed’s life. “The poems will show the importance of documenting Sheikh Zayed’s life, through various events and occasions. The last poems will be the ones I have written after his death, to spread the love,” Mr Al Sayegh said.

Mr Al Sayegh called upon other federal entities to participate in Zayed Humanitarian Day: “I especially call upon the youth who did not grow up with Sheikh Zayed, for we have to take advantage of this opportunity and show them what they did not know about him,” he said.

Emirates Post will be selling postage stamps to mark the anniversary.