Among his many qualities, a President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed will be remembered for his openness to new ideas. The man who led the United Arab Emirates through a defining chapter in its history – a chapter in which its population more than doubled and its cities became global metropolitan centers – was known to be the most comfortable in the intimate atmosphere of the majlis, listening to its people. As a young man, he often frequented the majlises held by his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Such gatherings are not only the backbone of the UAE’s political traditions, deeply rooted in its culture, but also nurture the bonds of trust between the country’s leaders and its people.

Today, the UAE has one of the highest levels of public trust in government in the world, according to this year’s Trust Index, released by Edelman, a public relations firm. This is part of a plethora of evidence of the impact Sheikh Khalifa’s tenure as President of the United Arab Emirates has had on the nation he led. With his death on Friday, this same nation will mourn the loss of a man so fundamental to shaping its modern culture and direction for the future.

“Man is mortal, but his work is not,” Sheikh Zayed once said. Just as Sheikh Khalifa carried his father’s ambitions for the UAE, the country’s leaders will surely pursue his own vision.

Sheikh Khalifa’s initiatives were numerous. Among the most significant, and true to its nature, was one in 2005 to reform the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates to involve public elections for half of its seats. By 2011, the number of Emiratis granted the right to vote in FNC elections had increased 20-fold to 130,000.

A keen environmentalist, he also established the country’s Ministry of Environment, which has since grown under his leadership to become the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has become an environmental leader in the region, restoring wildlife habitats, demarcating huge swathes of land for natural parks, experimenting with cutting-edge techniques to boost sustainable agriculture and harnessing the first nuclear power plant in the Gulf.

Other transformations will also come to redefine the UAE for future generations. Diversifying the country’s economy and expanding industries, including space, was part of Sheikh Khalifa’s vision for the future of the UAE. Today, the country has the highest proportion of women in government in the region and is one of the safest countries in the world. Under Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE has seen an unprecedented number of women enter higher education, the workforce, the police and the armed forces.

A saying often quoted by Sheikh Zayed is that “a country without a past has no present or future”. For so many years, Sheikh Khalifa has been the foundation of the UAE’s present and the unwavering guide to its future. He will remain as a most cherished part of its past – its example, the standard bearer of the extraordinary values ​​the country stands for today, and a benchmark for where it intends to go. And for now, during these days of mourning, the nation will reflect on his legacy and be grateful for his leadership. As Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: “The people of the Emirates are united in pain as we mourn the loss of our leaders and our President, Khalifa bin Zayed.”

Posted: May 13, 2022, 5:30 PM