Abu Dhabi: Leading humanitarian organisations marked the occasion of Zayed Humanitarian Day on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, and vowed to continue to uphold the spirit and legacy of the late Shaikh Zayed by following his tradition of helping those in need.
Zayed Humanitarian Day, which officially falls on the 19th day of Ramadan — the day Shaikh Zayed passed away — was made to honour the late leader and founder of the UAE and the humanitarian work and policies he worked on during his lifetime.
Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, was in attendance for the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation event, along with several other high-ranking officials including Shaikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance.
Shaikh Mansour said that humanitarian work and charity have become embedded among the values of the UAE and its leadership, and that the country would continue to follow in the steps of the late Shaikh Zayed.
He also added that the Khalifa Foundation would continue working on several humanitarian projects both inside and outside the UAE, and thanked the Foundation’s partners for their support.
Shaikh Mansour also launched Khalifa Foundation’s book titled ‘Pioneers of humanitarian works’. The book gives an insight into the work of the foundation and the successful projects it has carried out since its creation.
At the conclusion of the event, Shaikh Mansour honoured 95 sponsors of the foundation.
Another event to mark the occasion was organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, in collaboration with the Zayed Giving Initiative, Emirates Centre for Volunteering, Arab Association for Social Responsibility, and the Arab Foundation for Humanitarian work.
During the event, a short film was played documenting the humanitarian work carried out by the Zayed Giving Initiative around the world.
Dr Adel Al Shamri, Chief Executive Officer at Zayed Giving Initiative, said that that the UAE was always among the first to lend a supporting hand to those in need, and that the country’s humanitarian role was not something new, but a consistent trend since the establishment of the country by the late Shaikh Zayed.
