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Sheikh Saif’s viral speech: 6 things he said that will make you proud to be from UAE
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan revealed that the UAE ranks first in 264 global indicators
- PUBLISHED: Fri 6 Feb 2026, 2:17 PM
A powerful speech by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, at the World Government Summit (WGS) has gone viral, and for all the right reasons. In a session titled “The Impregnable Fortress,” he laid out a comprehensive vision for the UAE that was inspiring, ambitious, and deeply rooted in national pride.
Here are six key moments from the speech:
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1- Millionaires magnet
Sheikh Saif opened his speech with a powerful statement against any attempts to distort the nation’s image, declaring that the world’s trust in the UAE is unwavering because “numbers don’t lie.”
He revealed that the UAE is home to 240,000 millionaires, whose collective wealth exceeds $785 billion, 9800 moved only in 2025 with an average of 26 daily. This isn’t just about money; it’s a powerful indicator of the trust high-net-worth individuals place in the nation’s stability and future.
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This is further proven by the UAE’s ranking as first globally in 264 competitiveness indicators. He also highlighted the UAE’s global reach, noting that Emirati-managed operations run 460 ports and operational units in more than 70 countries, employing local citizens and creating partnerships worldwide.
2- The 5 pillars of AI
Sheikh Saif unveiled the UAE’s complete strategy for AI dominance, structured as a pyramid with five essential pillars. He announced that the UAE has succeeded in completing this pyramid:
Clean Energy: The foundation of it all. The UAE is 1st globally in energy competitiveness, 4th in concentrated solar power, and 13th in nuclear energy.
Chips: The essential hardware. The UAE is co-designing custom AI chips with US partners.
Infrastructure: The physical backbone. The UAE has successfully built a story infrastructure that can hold the projects.
Models: The brain. The UAE is developing its own native AI models like K2Think from MBZUAI, which already ranks as a top reasoning system in its class.
Applications: The real-world use. This is where AI is integrated into government and private sector services to improve lives.
3- From oil producer to intelligence producer
This was the speech’s most powerful declaration. Sheikh Saif announced the UAE’s shift from an oil producer to an “intelligence producer.”
The goal of the AI pyramid is to create an “intelligence factory” capable of producing 100 trillion tokens of intelligence daily. In the single chip he represented, there are more than 4 billion transistors.
This is a monumental ambition, especially when compared to the 300 trillion tokens that all of humanity produces organically each day.
This isn’t just a dream. Sheikh Saif detailed the massive infrastructure being built with global partners, nuclear power with South Korea, custom-designed chips with the US, and massive data centers with a dozen other partners.
The UAE is on track to have 5 gigawatts of data center capacity, with some of the fastest construction in the world, all connected by a fiber network stretching from Singapore to London and reaching 4 billion people.
4- Smashing goals years ahead of schedule
The numbers behind the UAE’s economic success are undeniable. Sheikh Saif announced that the nation’s non-oil foreign trade grew by a staggering 26% in the last year, exceeding 3 trillion dirhams. This incredible milestone was achieved a full five years ahead of the 2030 target, proving the resilience, dynamism, and relentless drive of the UAE’s economy.
5- Heart for humanity
Beyond the numbers, Sheikh Saif emphasized the UAE’s compassionate core. The nation is the third-largest donor of humanitarian aid globally. He provided a detailed breakdown of the immense support for Gaza, where the numbers tell a story of deep commitment as over $3 billion in aid (representing 46% of all global aid), the construction of 6 water desalination plants producing 2 million gallons of water, and the treatment of over 870,000 medical cases.
6- ‘Impregnable Fortress’
Sheikh Saif delivered a powerful and reassuring message to the people of the UAE, defining the true meaning of the “impregnable fortress.”
“Don’t worry… (your family), (your religion), (your industry), (your wealth) are safe… you are safe in the impregnable fortress of the UAE.”
This promise is the core of the nation’s social contract, assuring that progress will never come at the expense of security, faith, or family values.
While the AI pyramid has five pillars, Sheikh Saif stressed that the cohesive family and moral values are the most important pillar of all for building a solid society.
He shared the story of Dhahira Al Ameri, a mother who sat with her son in a tent school in Al Ain when the late Founding Father, Shaikh Zayed Al Nahyan, established the education system in the UAE and asked everyone to go and study. Her son, now a graduate from US, has four university-educated daughters of his own and one studying cypher security in Australia.
This story, Sheikh Saif explained, is the perfect example of how the Emirati family, built on sacrifice and trust in leadership, is the true foundation of the nation’s strength.
Finally Sheikh Saif shared a profound philosophy on stability, stating it doesn’t happen by chance and that its price is high. He credited the wisdom and courage of the UAE’s leadership, particularly President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, for steering the nation.
He concluded with a powerful call to action for all citizens: “You are the most capable,” he declared, entrusting the people with the responsibility to protect the nation, their families, and future generations. It was a message of empowerment, reminding everyone that the security and prosperity of the UAE is a shared duty.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.