ABU DHABI // The president of Yemen visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the newly opened Wahat Al Karama memorial on Sunday.
Abdrabu Mansur Hadi visited the Abu Dhabi landmarks as part of his official visit to the UAE. He visited the memorial, which was inaugurated last Wednesday for Commemoration Day, to honour killed UAE heroes and their sacrifices in defending their country.
Mr Hadi toured the memorial and visited the Pavilion of Honour, where he was briefed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun, Director of the Martyrs’ Families’ Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, about the names of UAE heroes and Quranic verses engraved on the mural.
The Yemeni president also inspected the guard of honour and laid a wreath at the Martyrs Memorial, reported Wam, the state news agency. Ali Musleh Al Ahbabi, UAE Special Envoy to Yemen, and Fahad Al Menhali, Yemeni ambassador to the UAE, accompanied Mr Hadi on the visit.
The memorial is located on a 46,000-square-metre area between the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Armed Forces General Headquarters.
During Mr Hadi's tour of the mosque, he was briefed by its director general, Yousif Al Obaidly, about the history and architectural styles used in its construction. He also was given a copy of the book Spaces of Light, published by the mosque centre.
He also visited the mausoleum of the late Sheikh Zayed, Founding Father of the UAE, where he read the opening verses from the Quran and recalled Sheikh Zayed’s qualities and wise approach to tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Mr Hadi had attended the Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage two-day conference, at which heads of state and representatives from more than 40 countries approved the creation of a US$100 million international fund to protect heritage sites in conflict areas.
The UAE is participating in Saudi-led efforts to support the legitimate government in Yemen under Mr Hadi, in the continuing conflict with the Iran-backed Houthi militia and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
On Saturday, UAE-trained troops deployed in the Yemeni city of Belhaf had secured the port in Shabwa governorate from Al Qaeda extremists.
newsdesk@thenational.ae