Abu Dhabi: A number of leading Emirati tribes held a series of meetings in Abu Dhabi in the past two weeks aimed at reiterating their covenant and loyalty to the state and the leaders of the UAE.
The meetings were a spontaneous reaction by the tribes to demonstrate support and respect to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Rulers of the Emirates following irresponsible comments by Ahmad Mansour Al Shehi and two other political activists meant to offend the symbol of the states, according to the heads of the tribes.
Al Za'ab tribe, one of leading UAE tribes held a rally on Thursday and Friday last week at the Abu Dhabi Intercontinental Hotel in the presence of a large number of leading figures in the tribe led by Ahmad Jumaa Al Za'abi, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs and one of the elders of the tribe Al Za'ab, and hundreds of the members of the tribe.
"This assembly is a spontaneous popular response to the calls lately to renew allegiance to the wise leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President and Prime Minister, Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The meetings rejected any form of prejudice to the principles and national unity," Al Za'abi told Gulf News.
Spontaneous
"The tribal meetings held recently are not strange or new to the traditions of the UAE. Tribes in the country spare no national occasion for renewing their loyalty to the wise leadership of the country. I am confident to say that these tribal gatherings are spontaneous expressions and a demand by the tribal members themselves and no authority whatsoever have called or motivated such meetings. It is a popular gathering and spontaneous decision to declare loyalty to the leadership and to the country's symbols and reject any offence to them," Al Za'abi added.
He did not confirm or deny the news referring to the tribe's intention to file a court case against the activists Ahmad Al Shehi and his companions.
The main purpose of these tribal gatherings is to show loyalty to the UAE leadership and to refuse any offence to our leaders, as for filing a court case, this is left to a collective decision and actions of all the tribe he said.
Al Za'abi concluded, saying that "Al Za'ab tribe members came on Thursday and Friday and registered their names in the tribe members' list leaving the decision in regard with Al Shehi to the tribe's leaders to act as they deem appropriate.
Hassan Ahmad Al Hosni, President of Al Hawasen tribe told Gulf News that "the tribe's rally held on Thursday and Friday (April 29 and 30) at the Officers Club in Abu Dhabi showed the spontaneous reaction of all members of the tribe gathering around the wise leadership of the country expressing their total loyalty and rejecting any movement that would harm the national unity".
Al Hosani also said that most of the tribes in the emirate of Abu Dhabi agreed that filing a court case is a collective matter that will be taken following further consultations with senior officials in the country and senior figures in the tribes.
