Sheikh Zayed: A man of ideas

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan can be described as a man of visionary ideas who helped catapult his country on to the international stage with poise. The legacy of the big-hearted Sheikh Zayed is celebrated to this day where his initiatives reflect the rare skills of a true leader.

After Sheikh Zayed became the ruler of Abu Dhabi in August 1966, he undertook several projects to improve the harsh desert environment using the country's oil revenues. He believed the real wealth is not merely material gain, but investment in people who would eventually build the future of the nation. This is one reason why he started massive development programmes which included construction of schools, hospitals, roads and housing projects.

The founding father used oil revenues to further advance the UAE and build a strong economy. Subsequently, the UAE ranked among the region's most economically developed countries and the second biggest economy in the GCC region, after Saudi Arabia. In 1967, after the oil exports began, revenues were around $84 million and a per capita income of $5,000 ranked Abu Dhabi as highest in the world and it was a dramatic transformation in the capital's fortunes. But Sheikh Zayed made sure that the state's funds would not be wasted.

He said: "Projects will not be undertaken simply to boost our prestige. Everything we do now must be aimed at meeting the immediate needs of the people. The benefits of our prosperity must reach our people," he said.

Another idea he strongly believed in was the cooperation and unity among the Arabs. He was the first statesman to call for a union and realised that for Abu Dhabi to prosper, it needed to cooperate with its tribal neighbours.

He met with the then rulers and an agreement signed on February 27, 1968, which would form a federation of nine emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Bahrain, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Qatar and Umm Al Quwain - but eventually, on December 2, 1971, a federation of six emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain) formed the United Arab Emirates.

He also started attempts of improving relations with Saudi Arabia around the same time. "Federation is the way to power, the way to strength, the way to well-being, a strong reputation. Smaller entities have no standing in the world today, and the same has applied throughout history, Sheikh Zayed told his fellow rulers.

Another issue handled by Sheikh Zayed prudently was the influx of foreigners and the phenomenon of the UAE men marrying foreign women started picking up. Many Emirati boys studying abroad in the 1980s preferred inter-racial and inter-cultral marriage. To tackle this, Sheikh Zayed launched the UAE Marriage Fund in 1992 which would grant Dh70,000 to national couples to pay for expenses and also would be enough to leave a large sum afterwards for a dowry. This proved extremely effective and the marriage fund figures showed that the number of UAE men marrying foreigners dropping year on year to a figure as low as 25 per cent.

It was the foundation laid by the late Sheikh Zayed and his vision to transform the society into a lifestyle which is a fusion of Islam with modern tech that has given the UAE its high reputation.

saman@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai