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The UAE is a hub of trade and knowledge

In its diversity, the country finds talent

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It is well known that the UAE is a centre of trade and commerce, but the country remains grounded in knowledge and values the written word. A new library, the region’s largest that was opened on Monday, is a surprise only the UAE can throw in the midst of a pandemic. An oil major, the country is also an aviation powerhouse that connects the East and West. A hub of modern civilization would be the best way to describe the UAE that has made rapid strides in just five decades since it was born in 1971. Oil wealth fuelled its early growth. Now, this country is aiming higher and wants to be seen centre for excellence in the arts, in culture and in technology.

This country has always been open for business and welcomes people from all over the world. No other nation on earth can boast of more than 200 nationalities living in harmony. In its diversity, the UAE finds talent. It sees opportunities for knowledge and learning. It’s slowly making its mark as a technology and space hub, with plans of a colony on Mars by 2117. New businesses and start- ups are setting up base here. The global traveller is returning to the country after the pain caused by the pandemic in 2020. The pandemic, in fact, has been a new beginning for the UAE. Its stellar diplomatic moves during this phase made the world sit up and take notice as it punched above its weight on the global stage.

Even in the middle of multiple crises affecting the world, the UAE has never strayed from its development model. Dubai hosted one the most successful Expos which concluded this March. The Museum of the Future opened in February. On Monday, the region’s largest library was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Who would have thought of a library and a return to the written word but the UAE! Like we said earlier, the country never ceases to surprise, and this is what makes it special to people from all over the world. The opening of the massive library is proof that the UAE is taking learning and reading seriously. It’s digging deep and finding its creative and innovative core while encouraging people to grow in knowledge and wisdom. Sheikh Mohammed himself is a writer and poet of repute. The library has over 1.1 million books and is spread across 54,000 square metres on seven floors. There’s a book for everyone in the lectern-shaped structure. This country wants to be the seat of modern thinkers and thought leaders from all over the world. From a modern hub of trade and civilization to a Beacon of Knowledge, the UAE has indeed come a long way.