The Anniversary of Zayed Humanitarian Work Day

(19th Ramadan)

A nation remembers Shaikh Zayed’s services

ON the 19th day of Ramadan, celebrations were held across the UAE on the anniversary of Zayed Humanitarian Work Day, which corresponds with World Humanitarian Day.

In 2012, the federal cabinet decided to mark the 19th day of Ramadan -- the anniversary of the death of UAE’s founding father and leading philanthropist, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan -- as Zayed Humanitarian Work Day.

In announcing the decision, HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said, “We proclaim this day as Humanitarian Work Day for the UAE, to commemorate Shaikh Zayed’s spirit of philanthropy and to promote the Emirati culture of giving, the foundations of which were laid by Shaikh Zayed.”

Shaikh Mohammed added, “Shaikh Zayed’s name has become synonymous with generosity and giving, not only in the UAE, but in the whole world; however, he didn’t like talking about his philanthropy. He was loved and cherished by the people of the world.”

The UAE Humanitarian Day, Shaikh Mohammed said, is an annual event “in which we recall with pride the life of the founding father and plan ahead a new year of Emirati humanitarian work to promote the UAE as a global capital for humanitarian works”.

The celebrations this year, which will be held under the slogan “Love and Loyalty for the Generous Zayed”, will witness the launch of more humanitarian and charitable initiatives through thousands of governmental and community events organised by public, private and civil institutions.

The Zayed Humanitarian Work Day is being celebrated across the country and people from different walks of life are paying tributes to the founding father of the UAE, the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and attributing all their successes and achievements to his leadership, policies and wisdom.

A living legacy

Shaikh Zayed established solid foundations for humanitarian action, which today constitute an approach for sustainable generosity and giving.

In 1992, he established the Zayed Foundation for Charity and Humanitarian Works, with a capital of more than $1 billion, in the arena of philanthropy in all fields, within the country and all over the world.

The Foundation, up to August 2013, has donated more than $460 million to charity programs and humanitarian projects in 96 countries throughout the Arab world, Asia, Africa and Europe.

International accolades

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, during his visit to the UAE in May, praised the aid and humanitarian stance of the UAE. He said the UAE has become one of the leading countries at a global level in the field of humanitarian aid provided for all people in need, regardless of geography, race or religion.

He said that the UAE, led by President Shaikh Khalifa, is strongly contributing to the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through its development projects around the world.

In this context, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “The UAE now is the first humanitarian work hub globally.”

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and President of Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), said that the UAE’s ranking as the world’s largest donor nation is thanks to the legacy of Shaikh Zayed, who devoted all his life to serve underprivileged people worldwide, a legacy which is being followed by the UAE’s wise leadership.

In the same context, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, also stressed that ranking the UAE as the world’s largest donor is a historic achievement which embodies the humanitarian vision of the prudent leadership and describes the solidarity values of the country and Emiratis.

This, he said, sends a strong message to the world and emphasises that human values should be the main goal for countries, indicating that supporting brothers and friends during crises and catastrophes is the only way to find peace and international stability.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, announced the provision of Dh440 million in support of the global effort to eradicate polio by 2018, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan, the second such contribution offered by him to eradicate polio worldwide.

Global humanitarian initiatives

Over the past years, the UAE has launched many global humanitarian initiatives that serve to enhance the capabilities of millions of people in many countries, including victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts, violence and wars, hunger, poverty, disease and destitution.

Among the most important of these initiatives is the Zayed Giving Initiative which was launched in 2000 in partnership with the global community to reach out to millions of people with humanitarian missions in various fields of health, educational, environment, culture and others.