Sheikh Mohamed will continue on the path laid by Zayed

May 13 was a sombre day for the UAE. For a youthful country which is only 50 years old, losing a leader is not easy to bear. The loss of our founding father Sheikh Zayed in 2004 was perhaps the most shocking news I’ve ever heard. I was just a kid back then. I remember distinctively how my mother burst into tears, breaking the news to us, and how even for us kids, recess wasn’t as joyful anymore for quite a long time. Losing our second leader wasn’t any simpler.

Perhaps what makes this especially hard is who we lost on May 13. The late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the embodiment of his father’s kindness. He not only followed in his father’s footsteps to turn the country into an industrial and development paradise, but he also ensured his people’s needs were a priority.

When Sheikh Khalifa assumed the presidency on November 4, 2004 following an unanimous vote by the Federal Supreme Council, every Emirati believed that he was the right leader to continue the work of the founding father who united the country. He not only continued the work of his father, but he also moved the country to the empowerment stage. Under his leadership, the UAE became one of the most important and economically influential countries in the world and the second-largest economy in the region.

Sheikh Khalifa will always be remembered for his philanthropy and his kindness. He was a humanitarian giant and the UAE established foundations and powered charities across the world. I, for one, will never forget the few instances in the last few years when had the pleasure of meeting him. He was always smiling and waving to the people. I can never forget that smile.