The scene at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi and in Al Ain in the past week was a miniature image of the bigger nation. Hundreds of citizens, led by the country's rulers, congregated from across the emirates to greet the President upon his return to the UAE following medical treatment in Switzerland.
The return of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was celebrated spontaneously by the people. That didn't surprise us. But it might have surprised outsiders who may wonder about the outpouring of people in the capital to greet and congratulate the President.
The outsiders, those who have little knowledge about the UAE traditions, or the Gulf social traditions in general, might not comprehend the concept of thousands of citizens greeting a returning head of state. They look around the region and see turbulent areas and spots of conflict. Unlike those states, the scene in the UAE genuinely indicates the harmony that has existed forever between the citizens and the political leadership.
A Gulf writer noted a few days ago that he watched a TV debate on Al Jazeera where an ‘expert' was ranting about how "most Arabs don't like their leaders." On the other hand, the writer continued, he saw an opposite picture in Abu Dhabi where he joined hundreds of others to offer Shaikh Khalifa their sincere wishes of a long and healthy life.
Others wrote about how other governments struggle to "assemble a few dozen people" to greet a returning leader or a visiting head of state. In the UAE the picture is completely the opposite. The people felt it was normal to show their love for the leader and express happiness on his return. He is the head of the family — the one solid family called the UAE.
This is exactly the principle that steered this nation even before the establishment of the federation. It is the way the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan taught his people. Shaikh Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and other rulers continue to follow that path even as the region is living through probably its most testing times in decades.
Last Ramadan, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid met on almost daily ‘iftars' officials, the business community, diplomats and ordinary citizens and people from all walks of life to discuss various issues and exchange ideas. A local newspaper described that as "the Ramadan Parliament." And in many instances it was.
It was an open channel and unrestricted access to the decision maker, who also wanted to listen to the different views of both the experts and ordinary citizens.
Addressing the hundreds of people who visited him on Wednesday, Shaikh Khalifa said the spontaneous outpouring of sentiments and the collective expression of joy shown by the people upon his return "put on our shoulders additional responsibility to do our utmost to fulfil the ambitions and aspirations of our people."
This is actually what it is all about. The people already realise that the leaders of this young nation have never spared an effort to make the UAE a regional leader in all aspects and rank high on global indicators of human development.
Promoting innovation
Too many reports come very often to endorse those efforts. Most recently, the Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, which is issued by the World Economic Forum, ranked UAE among the top 10 countries in more than 18 indicators of competitiveness globally (Gulf News, September 9, 2010).
The country, according to the report, was included for the second year in the third and most advanced stage of "Innovation-Driven Economies" which includes the highest-ranking countries, classified on the basis of their adoption of factors that promote innovation in economic development. This group includes such global powerhouses as Germany, Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Singapore, with the UAE being the only Arab country to feature in the group.
One cannot but wonder about the ability of this small and young nation to be ranked among major world players while many neighbouring states, with dozens times the population and a history that goes back thousands of years, still struggle to provide basic needs for their people or attract a fraction of the value of foreign investments the UAE draws every year.
The answer is simple. And it is found in the past week's scenes of mass outpouring of people into the capital to welcome the President. It is all about the harmony that governs the political, social and economic order in this country. The mutual love and respect created a nation that is truly a unique success story in this part of the world, a nation which is tolerant, open-minded and safe. And that is why millions of expatriates like to live, work and raise their families here.
The return of the President was thus, for many, significant. Its connotation goes beyond the return of a head of state. It is the moment that an entire country, motivated by genuine mutual love, got together in one familypicture. It is the moment that assured us that the UAE will continue to be the country the founding fathers knew very well it will grow to be — not only the single successful Arab experiment of unity, but also a beacon of development and an oasis of stability in a very volatile region.
