Hamdan honoured for philanthropy

Abu Dhabi: "He is not only a kind man, but a unique philanthropist", the official in charge of the Red Crescent Authority (RCA) said of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister.

"Walking together around the corner and down a street in Morocco, Shaikh Hamdan spotted a sort of crippled man. He stopped him and asked why he was walking like that ... the man replied that his leg had been broken in an accident. Shaikh Hamdan instructed that the man be hospitalised at his expense. And kept following his case until he was discharged," Dr Ali Abdullah Al Ka'abi, chairman of the RCA, said as he lauded the prominent role played by Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan in humanitarian causes worldwide.

Saikh Hamdan, he said, is also a strong proponent of UN's humanitarian and relief programmes.

Al Ka'abi particularly lauded the numerous initiatives launched by Shaikh Hamdan to ameliorate the suffering of the needy in many troubled spots around the world. "Shaikh Hamdan has always set a role model in philanthropy. His donations are meant to spur philanthropy and volunteerism among the people."

Al Ka'abi was speaking as Shaikh Hamdan was named Personality of the Year for volunteerism.

Saikh Hamdan said that the escalation of refugee issues worldwide poses a great challenge to the international community, humanitarian organisations and other philanthropic forces.

He said the UAE continued to play a great role to help minimise the causes of and to alleviate the sufferings of refugees, adding that the UAE is also one of the major supporters of refugees worldwide.

The UAE realised the dangers posed to the world by the situation of the refugees. That was why the country began working to prevent the occurrence of the causes of this situation by promoting the culture of peace, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, listening to the sense of reasons and wisdom in conflicts among peoples and nipping troubles in the bud, he said.

Profile: Foreign affairs veteran

Born in 1962, Shaikh Hamdan graduated from the UAE University in 1984 with a degree in political science and economics.

He was appointed the following year as Undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1988, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development.

He was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 1990. Shaikh Hamdan is also the Chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority.