ABU DHABI, 1st December, 2021 (WAM) — President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that the UAE’s Founding Fathers embraced sustainable development as a guiding methodology to build up a modern nation that derives its human, socio-economic, and cultural clout from robust constitutional, organisational and structural tenets.

In a statement to the 'Nation Shield' – the UAE Armed Forces' magazine- on the occasion of the UAE Golden Jubilee, the President said, "In line with the ‘Principles of the 50th’, the UAE will continue to steadily pursue a solid ecosystem of well-established values and principles, with human capital lying at the heart of UAE Strategy for the Future."

"It’s this resilient set of legislation that’s enabled our nation to establish a coherent society with a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy, a world-class healthcare system, an advanced education sector, an integrated modern infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and an enviable status in global competitiveness rankings," added the President.

In his statement, the President shed light on the key milestones achieved over the recent period: "We have come a long way in empowering women and youth, and developing a diversified economy. The outer space welcomed our first Emirati astronaut and our Hope Probe in historic milestones that have made our nation the first in this sphere in the Arab region and the fifth worldwide.

"We launched the Arab region’s first multi-unit nuclear plant that turned the UAE into a regional hub for renewable and clean energy. We’ve adopted a national strategy to retain and attract talent in a way that further reinforces the UAE’s stature on the Gulf, Arab, Islamic and global levels. And under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", we're hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, the world’s Greatest Show’ for the first time in the region’s history."

The past fifty years of the country’s history, His Highness continued, have fructified into a myriad of achievements, including sustainable development, political stability and security, a government that is among the most efficient in the world, and a private sector that has played a significant role in stimulating the domestic economy and enhancing its competitiveness and productivity.

President Khalifa added, "We have introduced to the world an inspiring development success story, which has rendered our country a leading regional and international financial centre, and a sought-after place to live, work, invest and travel. In so doing, we have surpassed others in terms of wellbeing, service excellence, corporate governance, trade openness, quality of life and entrepreneurship. We have successfully weathered the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and restored normalcy while observing full compliance with preventative measures in place.'' "Thanks to this enviable track record of achievements, we're ushering in the next 50 years of our history with a comprehensive, long-term, and well-thought-out strategic vision, based on meticulous pursuance of excellence to secure a brighter future for future generations, who, by the time they will be celebrating our Centennial 2071, will see their nation amongst the best in the world thanks to a sustainable and vibrant economy."

The President affirmed that the pursuit of regional and global peace and maintaining the principles of good-neighbourliness will continue to be the mainstay of the country’s foreign policy. "Strengthening cooperation among GCC states at the political, economic, social and security levels will remain a top Emirati priority. Within this context, we will continue to stand by our fraternal GCC states in the face of all threats to their stability, unity, and territorial integrity.

"We reiterate that Gulf security is integrated and inseparable. Strengthening the pillars of stability in our region is a collective responsibility that requires intensifying strategic coordination among all the GCC States to achieve the aspirations of our peoples for a secure and prosperous future as has been the case during the past 50 years.' "Our diplomacy will remain active and vibrant, catalysing partnerships with major, emerging and developing nations to promote a culture of tolerance, controlling conflicts, confronting climate change, investing in Sustainable Development Goals, combatting hunger, disease and poverty, and providing humanitarian and development aid, which is an integral part of our country's glorious journey and its moral obligations."

He expressed the pride of all Emirati cadres who are responding to the call of duty on all fronts. "We are proud of our government teams who've succeeded across 50 years to translate the rules laid down by our Founding Fathers into tangible services and resilient infrastructures. We take pride in our Armed Forces and their valiant commanders and soldiers and our security and police services. They have been leaving no stone unturned to live up to their responsibility in protecting our homeland. We are proud of all UAE residents, and their vital contributions to development and nation-building," the President concluded.