Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Director of National Media Council, NMC, has affirmed that the declaration of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for 2018 to be the Year of Zayed reflects the desire of the wise leadership to preserve the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who aspired to strengthen values of righteousness and giving, and build a nation that invests in its people and can foresee the future.

"The Year of Zayed is an opportunity to learn from the journey of wisdom and giving of the founder of the nation, to teach our sons and daughters about his journey and enable them to benefit and continue reaping the rewards. The values that the late Sheikh Zayed was keen to promote are derived from the tolerance of the Islamic religion, which encourages people to assist humanity."

Dr. Sultan noted that the UAE’s prominent international position is a result of the great achievements made by Sheikh Zayed, and the wise leadership is continuing to follow his path. All UAE nationals and residents also have the responsibility of continuing to promote these positive values.

"The Year of Zayed will highlight the nation’s pride in the journey of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who had left a clear mark on the UAE’s journey of success. The wise leadership is continuing to foresee the future, and it remains the duty of the people to continue building for future generations, in the same manner as their predecessors."

He added that the Year of Zayed is an opportunity for the UAE’s people to express their loyalty to the UAE and the wise leadership, as well as to display their efforts to continue the journey of the founding father.