Abu Dhabi: The founding father Shaikh Zayed’s visionary leadership created prosperity and laid the foundations of today’s modern society to provide UAE citizens with the finest infrastructure, telecommunications, hospitals, schools and all the other facilities and services that make for an advanced country.

This work continues under the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said Zaki Nussaibah, a man who has witnessed that history, last night.

“Today, the world views the UAE as one of the most influential players in economic, financial and knowledge terms. It would have been impossible for anyone who arrived in Abu Dhabi in the 1960s, when Qasr Al Hosn was the only stone building there, to predict or even dream of such a miracle,” Nussaibah said.

Having worked for more than 30 years as an interpreter for the late Shaikh Zayed, Nussaibah shared his memories with a packed house at the majlis of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Nussaibah said the transformation of emirate has been remarkable and the visible evidence is particularly apparent in Abu Dhabi city itself, with its constantly changing skyline of high-rise towers and fine new roads.

Nussaibah spoke of the UAE’s early years as the solid foundation on which the country was built. He remembers when it was little more than a village without proper roads or infrastructure.

With the British announcement in 1968 of their plans to withdraw from the Gulf by 1971, Shaikh Zayed became the union’s most forceful voice in Arab and international media.

“Shaikh Zayed’s message was confident and optimistic, notwithstanding his country’s lack of the most rudimentary prerequisites of a modern state,” he said.

Nussaibah added in spite of the numerous difficulties Shaikh Zayed faced over the four years of negotiations, he never lost faith and did everything he could to further his political vision.

“Shaikh Zayed was confident that the proposed union would successfully create its own deterrent defence forces to maintain stability and security in the region.”

Nussaibah talked about the two historical misconceptions that prevailed throughout the foundation stage.

“The first misconception was that Britain was behind the idea of forming the union, while in fact it was Shaikh Zayed who drove that historical endeavour despite many reservations from the British officials regarding its success, with most internal and external players at the time rejecting the idea and trying to hinder it. It was Shaikh Zayed, of all regional leaders, who never doubted his firm belief in the union,” Nussaibah recounted.

The second misconception, he added, was that the bilateral agreement for union between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 1968 paved the way to expedite the establishment of the union.

In fact, the bilateral agreement was only the starting point for a long and laborious journey that was at constant risk of failure and required Shaikh Zayed to make gigantic efforts together with the founding fathers and neighbouring countries before and after the establishment of the union.

Nussaibah concluded by talking about the experiences of the late Shaikh Zayed with different world cultures and civilisations during his tours and meetings with other Arab and foreign leaders.

“I can see Shaikh Zayed smiling in his grave following up the UAE’s ambitious unmanned probe mission to Mars,” Nussaibah concluded.