Identity gives UAE solid confidence

The core of the United Arab Emirates is its solid sense of identity and its strong confidence in its abilities as a nation, which have been tested and proved during the 38 years of its existence. It is on this secure base that the UAE will continue to be built, and as a result the government is committed to building a sense of duty and patriotism among the population.

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan did not mince words when he spelt out how he thought that identity and involvement of the people of the UAE in the national project should be expressed. In his National Day address he said: "Work is a true criterion of citizenship. It is evidence of sincerity and loyalty. We all share the responsibility of building this country, protect its sovereignty and safeguard the gains."

Shaikh Khalifa was very clear that the global economic crisis would not throw the UAE and its emirates off course. "The global financial crisis in its severity will not be a reason for hesitation or retreat, not a justification to lead us to despair or inaction," he said. Shaikh Khalifa also emphasised "the unity of the market across the nation" as he defined the government's priorities, which included the "continuation of the economic policies, finance, credit, policies governing the labour market, the linking of education and training policies to the labour market, activation of emiratisation and replacement policy."

It is encouraging to see the long-term strategy for the UAE's economic and demographic growth being defined so clearly by the President, who summed up the work of the whole government as keeping the country's long-term goals on track despite the economic ups and downs of the past year.