Lubna Al Qasimi: On this national 52nd festivity, we rejoice the achievements of a nation that the world is proud of
The gains of the Union State included all development sectors, especially human beings
Amal Al-Afifi: The Union State is a unique model to be emulated in human building and the renaissance of societies
Abu Dhabi: Thursday, November 23, 2023
The General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education confirmed that the launch of the Union’s march in the year 1971 constituted a milestone in the history of the region and the world. The Union’s carried an important message for the region and the world for a country that believed in unity as a path to development and cultural renaissance. The celebration of the 52nd National Day coincides this year, just as The United Arab Emirates leads international competitiveness indicators in national development in all fields, of which is building a human being armed with science and knowledge.
This came during the celebration organized by the General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education as part of its celebrations of the 52nd National Day, in which Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi spoke, in the presence of Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award foe Education, Amal Al-Afifi, Secretary-General of the Award, and Dr. Souad Al Suwaidi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Award in addition to several academic and educational leaders and students.
In the presence of Amal Al-Afifi, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, and a number of academic and educational leaders at the state level, the celebration included a flag salute and the opening of the Sustainability Exhibition.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Amal Al-Afifi welcomed the attendees, stressing that the progress and prosperity achieved by the Union State has become a unique model for nations to emulate in building human beings, the renaissance of societies, and drawing a map of a bright future for future generations, noting that the celebration of the 52nd National Day of the establishment of the Union State is… The hand of the founder, the late father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, and his fellow founders. This is a great national occasion before which we stand in reverence and pride for the cultural gains that have been achieved.
Al-Afifi said: On this precious occasion, we raise the highest expressions of gratitude and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and to His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al. Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Office, and their brothers, Their Highnesses the Sheikhs, Members of the Supreme Council of the Federation and Rulers of the Emirates, renewing the pledge of loyalty and belonging to the homeland and the wise leadership, and determined to continue making and giving and redoubling the effort with excellence, leadership and creativity in improving the quality of life and national development in Our good land.
National development
For her part, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi touched, during her speech, on a number of topics related to the development of national development since the launch of the Union’s journey in the year 1971, saying: I am pleased to be with you today in this event organized by the Khalifa Educational Award, in which we participate in the country’s celebrations of the fifty-second National Day. We celebrate decades of achievement and a path full of sincere national work, the journey of the union that the United Arab Emirates enjoys with prosperity, development, advancement and progress, and at the forefront of global competitiveness indicators in many fields, foremost of which are those fields related to mankind, yes man, who made him the late founding leader. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, was the focus of the cultural renaissance that began with the establishment of the Union State. The late him and the founding fathers were keen to unify visions, unite hearts, and adhere to the Union as an approach and a modern state that upholds values and builds the character of a citizen who is proud of his national identity. It is proud of its cultural heritage, and always aspires to keep pace with the times and interact with the successive scientific and technical developments it is witnessing.
Her Excellency added: Today, the journey of the Union is proceeding under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and his brother His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President. The President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Office, and their brothers, Their Highnesses, Members of the Supreme Council of the Federation, Rulers of the Emirates.
Homeland achievements
She said: Today we celebrate the achievements of a nation that the world is proud of in various development sectors, the most important of which is human building as a focus of national development. The Union State has given the citizen and citizenship all care and attention, and this has been represented in sectors such as education, which is considered at the top of the national priority agenda since the beginning of the Union’s journey. The state’s constitution guaranteed the right to education for every male and female citizen and made it compulsory up to the secondary level and free at all levels. Female students constitute about 70% of university graduates nationwide, which reflects the excellence of the education process under the banner of education. Schools, institutes and universities attract about one million two hundred thousand male and female students. From various levels of study, higher education institutions offer distinguished programs in vital specializations related to the UAE Centennial Agenda 2071. These specializations vary in health and medical sciences, space, nanotechnology, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, and other specializations related to the economic and investment fields and human sciences, which is what It provides the labor market with qualified cadres to anticipate the future and interact with the changes it is witnessing in the jobs of tomorrow, and the associated skills that these institutions must prepare the student for in school, in a way that qualifies him to contribute to advancing the national development process under the banner of the Union.
Her Excellency pointed out that talking about the achievements of the Union State is talking about an immortal national epic that the world is proud of. Within a few decades, the United Arab Emirates topped international competitiveness indicators in various fields, especially mentioning here the axis related to women. The United Arab Emirates has succeeded in It presents a unique model at the regional and international levels in caring for women, a care that has extended since the beginning of the Union’s journey, and has found all support and support from Her Highness the mother Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Childhood and Motherhood, and Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, “Mother of the Emirates.” Women’s progress has witnessed huge leaps in terms of achieving gender balance. In this regard, the United Arab Emirates issued the Gender Balance Strategy 2022-2026. In 2022, the United Arab Emirates ranked eleventh in the world and first among Arab countries in terms of gender balance. The gender balance index translates into the qualitative leap witnessed in this axis and the support it enjoys from leadership, government, and society alike.
Space sector
At the conclusion of her speech, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi said: “We celebrate the fifty-second National Day and our hearts are full of pride and pride in what has been achieved by Emirati leadership in the space sector, this promising national sector that has made the United Arab Emirates one of the developed countries in the World Space Club. We consider what has been achieved as a national gain, and we are proud of this base of specialized cadres of sons and daughters of the nation who have engraved new accomplishments in our history. We cannot be prouder of the soft power of the United Arab Emirates and its prominent diplomatic efforts at the regional and international levels, which are efforts that have strengthened the state’s position and leadership. We are also proud of the mission of our armed forces and their pioneering role as a shield for the nation, and their efforts to maintain security and stability, and spread peace at the regional and international levels. On this occasion, we remember with all pride the sacrifices of the nation’s righteous martyrs, and we turn to God Almighty to preserve them in the gardens of eternity.”
She concluded her speech by saying: “Celebrating National Day is an occasion in which we renew loyalty to the homeland and the wise leadership. We also renew our determination and pledge to continue following the path of the founding fathers in elevating the path of the Union, and we double the effort, effort and giving to always raise this path to the ranks of developed countries, and it is a covenant that will be passed down for generations that homeland and grew up on its good land.”
Educational and heritage activities during the celebration
The activities of the Award’s celebration of the fifty-second National Day were launched at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Award in Abu Dhabi, including saluting the flag and opening an exhibition of research innovations to preserve the environment and consolidate the concept of sustainability. Student teams from universities participated from: UAE University, Khalifa University, Zayed University, and Abu Dhabi University. The Emirates College for Educational Development, the Emirates National Schools, the Al Mubarakah Foundation, the Commando Programme, and the Mubarak Bin Mohammed School for Educational Partnerships in Abu Dhabi. The celebration included scientific presentations for a number of research and applied projects that dealt with the analytical study of mechanisms for consolidating the concept of sustainability in society.
The activities moreover included a documentary exhibition by the National Archives and the National Library, which presented a comprehensive picture of the development of the Union State’s progress. Military band from the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters played the national anthem, and the poet Obaid Ali Khaseef Al Kaabi presented a poem during the events to celebrate the occasion.