There cannot be a better way to express the UAE’s commitment to tolerance. “The most that we are proud of is not our high-rise buildings or wide streets, neither our mega markets, but the UAE’s tolerance. We are immensely proud that our country is home to all people of various backgrounds, who live and work to build a better future for their children without fear, fanaticism, hate or racial discrimination.”

This was the message of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. In a statement on the eve of International Tolerance Day observed on November 16, the prime minister was simply stating a fact that citizens and expatriates are well aware of. The nation’s founding fathers — late Shaikh Zayed and Shaikh Rashid — ensured that tolerance became a deeply cherished and fundamental value for both the government and people of the country.

Also, tolerance is not a new idea for the UAE. Shaikh Rashid’s majlis was open to expatriates, regardless of their cultural and religious background. “All people are equal as they were born. No one is better than anyone except by his work, ethics and abidance by our law and constitution as well as by respect of our country,” Shaikh Mohammad said. The UAE’s commitment to tolerance is not symbolic. The nation has a Minister of Tolerance who, on Wednesday, outlined a strategy to promote tolerance. Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, added that the strategy will focus on community awareness, building stronger community relations and invest in research and studies and launching indices to measure the fulfilment of objectives — all part of an action plan pursued by the International Institute for Tolerance.