Abu Dhabi: Zayed Humanitarian Day was marked across the UAE with a number of charitable activities, remembering the legacy of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Shaikh Zayed’s 13th death anniversary, which falls on 19th day of Ramadan, is designated as Zayed Humanitarian Day across the UAE.

Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said Zayed Humanitarian Day embodies the cohesion between Emiratis and their wise leadership, as they come together to remember the founder of the UAE, the late Shaikh Zayed. Al Owais said, “Today, we remember the positive impact of Shaikh Zayed and express sentiments of loyalty to his unprecedented and unique approach of generosity and giving.”

He pointed out that Shaikh Zayed showed the path to the leading role for the UAE in humanitarian and charitable endowment projects for people from different faiths and ethnicities.

Major-General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, director-general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, said, “The day is a chance to express our gratitude to him (Shaikh Zayed) who launched the march of humanitarian giving in the UAE and world.

“It is a day that embodies the authentic values of Emirati society’s culture, particularly those pertaining to cooperation, cohesion and tolerance between people, which casts a bright image of the UAE in the hearts and minds of millions of people,” said Al Merri.

Reem Abdullah Al Falasi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, described the occasion as an important stop in the UAE’s national history.

Al Falasi said that Emirati mothers and children were the segment that benefited the most from Shaikh Zayed, who always stood by their side, providing them with opportunities for education and care. Al Falasi said that Shaikh Zayed’s kindness and generosity were not limited to the UAE’s borders and extended to women and children around the world who were affected by crises and natural disasters.

She pointed out the UAE’s humanitarian aid record is rife with many initiatives launched by the UAE’s wise leadership to meet the requirements of needy people like aid for orphans, shelter, and medical, psychological and nutritional support for the poor.

Noora Al Suwaidi, director of the General Women’s Union (GWU), stressed that the memory of Shaikh Zayed has made an obvious impact in the field of international humanitarian action, as he promoted values that became the obvious characteristics of the UAE’s journey and its generous people.

In her statement, she added that the wise leadership has made humanitarian giving a priority, based on Shaikh Zayed’s belief in the necessity of helping the needy and vulnerable individuals and his conviction that giving is a universal commitment and duty, not just for charities and grants. Highlighting the late leader’s role in supporting women’s empowerment, Al Suwaidi said Shaikh Zayed supported UAE women from the beginning, emphasising the fact that Emirati women have achieved considerable developments in both his era and after his death.