UAE is your second home, Sheikh Mohamed tells expats

Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Mohamed reassured the nation that with patience, “this Covid-19 crisis will pass”.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has told residents to feel and take the UAE as their second home — as he reassured the nation that with patience, “this Covid-19 crisis will pass”.
“This is a month of patience and enduring hardships in the face of challenges. A month that inspires us to work with determination and will in achieving our goals. A month of giving for the benefit of humankind,” Sheikh Mohamed said as he spoke during a live virtual discussion as part of  the Majlis Mohamed Bin Zayed lecture series, which was launched on Wednesday.
The majlis’ Ramadan series now comes in a newly reimagined virtual version, broadcast on Al Emarat TV Channel. The first episode was also posted on YouTube.
Sheikh Mohamed added: “We must invest for the benefit of people and put a smile on their faces. I would like to send this message to all people of the UAE, both citizens and residents of this land, who are living through this pandemic that has spread across the world and has exhausted many nations.”
“We wish, and I wish personally, that our residents in the UAE will feel that this is their second home.
“We cannot compensate them in their first home. But this is their second home. God willing, this crisis will pass. But we need to be a little patient.”

Thanking frontliners
Sheikh Mohamed also thanked and appreciated both citizens and residents working on the frontlines for the health and safety of the UAE, stressing that the entire nation is proud of them.  “We do not differentiate between them in their giving and love to this country. God willing and with patience, we will get through this crisis. The UAE, with all its people, is strong,” he said.
The Majlis Mohamed Bin Zayed is a forum that hosts prominent leaders, scientists, thinkers, scholars and community members to engage in dialogue and contribute to a deeper understanding of the issues that impact societies and human life.
The first episode, which was held virtually because of the current Covid-19 crisis, was led by Dr Omar Habtoor Al Darei, executive director of Islamic Affairs at the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, featured a short lecture, followed by a live discussion.

‘Power of Ramadan’
In the pilot episode of this series titled “Our Values, Our Path Forward”, Dr Al Darei talked about the “enduring power of Ramadan” during such trying times.
“People observing Ramadan from their homes this year would experience a renewal of faith, as they observe this holy month with their family under the same roof,” he said.
The lecture referenced lessons from the pandemics of the past, citing The Annals of the History of the Emirates, a book documenting the epidemics people of the region suffered. He also spoke about the legacies of forefathers who conquered difficult times with optimism.
Dr Al Darei stressed the importance of perseverance in times of epidemics, stressing that even the  companions of Prophet Muhamad (PBUH) faced bigger epidemics.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi