UAE | Government
Khalifa in Newsweek's list of world's 50 most powerful people
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been named by Newsweek magazine among the 50 most powerful people in the world.
- WAM
- Published: 13:03 August 3, 2009
- Image Credit: WAM
- Shaikh Khalifa, who continues to build on the legacy of his late father, has developed strong relations with his own people, the region and leaders of world, and has carried out many reforms to empower women in the country. The President is shown touring the Western Region.
Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been named by Newsweek magazine among the 50 most powerful people in the world.
In its most recent issue in which the US magazine published its traditional list of the most powerful people, it hailed Shaikh Khalifa's ability to tackle crises since an early age and until now wherein he managed to save the UAE from the global financial crisis.
The magazine commended Shaikh Khalifa's achievements on the economic, political and social fronts, right from the days when he was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
It specifically lauded Shaikh Khalifa's efforts in 1979 to solve the problem of high interest loans given to nationals to finance new houses and businesses that had forced the country into financial difficulties. His father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE federation, had assigned him the task to solve the problem.
Directly addressing the crisis which hit the emirate a few years after the federation was formed, Shaikh Khalifa set up a committee to purchase citizens' debts and in less than a year, he slashed interest rates on their loans from 20 per cent to less than 2 per cent, said the magazine.
The debt committee later turned into a loan-giving entity, thereby directly and effectively contributing to improving the quality of life of UAE citizens on a par with those in the most advanced countries. This was achieved due to the extensive urban development measures taken by Shaikh Khalifa. It boosted the popularity of the young crown prince of the emirate, Newsweek noted.
The magazine also stated that Shaikh Khalifa, who continues to build on the legacy of his late father, has developed strong relations with his own people, the region and leaders of world.
It stated that upon taking over as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 2004, Shaikh Khalifa launched many reforms, including the process for empowering women. As a result, four women were appointed as ministers, giving women 30 per cent of senior governmental positions and increasing the number of businesswomen to more than 2,400.
Hosting the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first universal museum in this region, the Guggenheim Museum and world-class universities such as the Sorbonne and New York University, Abu Dhabi is set to be a global cultural crossroads, said Newsweek.
Commenting on choosing Shaikh Khalifa on the Newsweek list of 50 most powerful people in the world, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said when one is talking about Shaikh Khalifa it is not easy to draw a line between what is public and what is private. "His personal traits reflect on the way he works, his approach to and management of public matters.
"He is strictly punctual... a great listener... He keeps in touch with citizens, listens to their grievances...His majlis is always full of all types of people form all over the country," he said.
Shaikh Mansour stated that "Shaikh Khalifa considers responsibility as an entrusted and heavy duty which needs perseverance and resolve to carry out the job in the best possible manner."
"As a result of Shaikh Khalifa's keenness to carry out his responsibility to the fullest, we find his punctuality in meetings and delivering work is exemplary, both inside the UAE and abroad, all of which has been reflected on the excellent performance of his subordinates," he added.
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