Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works and Chairman of the National Media Council stated that the celebrations of the fortieth anniversary of the UAE National Day on the second of December is not just a ceremonial event, but an occasion to count the magnitude of achievements that accumulate over the years.
In n interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper ‘Al-Kuwaitiah’ published on Friday, Sheikh Hamdan described the 40th National day as an immortal memory spanning for four decades of work, dedication and impressive accomplishments.
After the United Arab Emirates came into being on the second of December 1971, it created the epic march of development of a nation, that was unprecedented in the history. The march was guided by the wisdom, competence, generosity, self-giving and dedication of the founder of the nation, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; said Sheikh Hamdan.
“With warm appreciation we remember the history of all the departed leaders who participated with their thoughts and efforts in building the Union and in the consolidation of the country, about which we are always proud”, he said.
“The UAE has elevated today to the ranks of modern and advanced countries through the tremendous national achievements made during the last four decades in various fields. This progress can be attributed to many factors including the balanced and transparent foreign policies the country adopted in its relations with the world countries, the setting up of political, economic, cultural, commercial, scientific, technical, educational and healthcare partnerships with the countries across the globe. This has earned the UAE an reputed position on the regional and global levels”, noted Sheikh Hamdan.
The UAE today enjoys a prestigious position in the map of world economy and trade and is ranked first among the Arab countries and the 32nd among 169 world countries in the Human Development Report for 2010. The UAE has also entered practically the era of nuclear energy production. At the same time it has established itself as a leading global centre for clean energy and for the future energy projects, especially after the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irina) set up its headquarters in the UAE, said the minister.
“UAE is also at the forefront in the Middle East region in the use of space technology and satellites, thus becoming a pioneering centre for science and technology. Five satellites launched by UAE are orbiting the planet and next year we are planning to launch the sixth satellite”, said Sheikh Hamdan.
He also shone light on the UAE’s achievements in the fields of Information Technology and communication, and noted that the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum earlier in July 2010 ranked the UAE sixth among 132 world countries in the field of quality infrastructure.
Sheikh Hamdan also lauded the historical fraternity and deep-rooted relations between UAE and Kuwait.
