Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif: UAE measures time by achievements

“In light of the tremendous amount of work and the great achievements of the UAE leaders, each one of us, whether a minister or an employee in the government or in the private sector or a head of a family, must ask himself every day, week or month, what have we done for the family in the UAE? What did we do for the country?”

Speaking at the World Government Summit on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior said that in its development journey the pilots are the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “The challenge is to keep up with their speed,” he said.

“The world measures time by the hour, the day, the month or the year, and the UAE leadership measures time by achievements,” he said.

During his talk titled ‘The UAE: Solid Roots and Vibrant Future’ he said that the UAE has created an environment for development for citizens and foreigners. “The law protects them, their families and their investments in a society that respects cultures and religions. Everyone is an important part of the UAE family,” he said.

In 2022, Dubai topped the world’s cities when it came to tourism with revenues exceeding $29 million, he said adding that the UAE is the destination of choice for more than 200 million Arab youth as a place to work and live. “The reasons are economic opportunities, and an environment which promises security, respect for all cultures and an ideal place to build a family,” he said.

Sheikh Saif said that the UAE has preserved its roots while setting off towards the future. He stressed that the most important pillars of stability are the smooth transfer of power, continuity and belief in a united destiny adding that the smooth transfer of power is very important for the durability of the UAE family, the institution and the state, and that leadership and its steadfast vision is what distinguishes it.

The UAE family has always been a priority of Sheikh Mohamed and despite his responsibilities he is keen on meeting his people and to visit citizens' homes, said Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif. “In his first speech, he emphasised the values of the UAE: sovereignty, security, our cultural heritage and the work and effort needed to secure the future of the nation and preserve its position. These same values are passed on to our government and to every home in the UAE,” he said.

The UAE doesn’t only succeed but seeks to export its achievements to other nations he said, adding that the UAE president believes in goodness and giving without any return. “The main goal of giving was, and still is, to develop and improve communities to help themselves,” he said, “the UAE supports millions of people around the world and has hence gained the world’s trust.”

When it came to the UAE’s interest in the environment, Sheikh Saif said that the journey began in 1981 when the UAE issued the first law to protect the environment. “In 1995, the world honoured the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, in recognition of his environmental contributions locally and globally, which is the same year, in which the UN launched the first COP to educate the world about the environment,” he said.

The country’s achievements in the field both locally and internationally contributed to its well-deserved win of the global vote to host COP28. It was the leadership’s vision and confidence in addressing the delicate balance between oil and the environment that was behind assigning Sultan Al-Jaber, who heads Adnoc, to be the appointed president of the COP28, said Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif.

• UAE