Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Monday honoured a number of Emirati heroes of national duty in recognition of their significant efforts to advance humanitarian work overseas.

Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, attended the ceremony, which took place at Qasr Al Bahr Majlis.

Shaikh Mohammad expressed his pride in the heroic acts made by the Emirati people who exemplify the finest values of loyalty and belonging to the UAE land through their noble deeds in the within the UAE and overseas. Shaikh Mohammad wished them luck in serving their nation across all fronts.

Shaikh Mohammad presented the UAE Second Class Medal to Colonel Ali Al Kaabi, Colonel Saeed Al Ketbi, Group Captain Saif Al Mazroue, Colonel Mohamad Al Sumaiti, Wing Commander Salem Al Baloushi, and Commander Yousef Al Suwaidi.

He decorated Flight Lieutenant Shaikh Mohammad Bin Suroor Al Nahyan, Flight Lieutenant Ahmad Al Ketbi and Captain Abdullah Al Dar'i with the UAE Fourth Class Medal.

Shaikh Mohammad also honoured martyr Major Humaid Al Shamsi with the UAE third Class Medal and His brother Mohammed received the medal.

Mohammad Bin Zayed receives first certified Emirati women firefighters

Shaikh Mohammad on Monday received at Qasr Al Bahr Majlis the first certified Emirati women firefighters, who have recently graduated from a Women Firefighting Course in Sharjah.

"The UAE woman is always proving her worth in performing all the national tasks assigned to her, excelling herself in fulfilling her responsibilities and meeting her obligations," Shaikh Mohamed told the Emirati firefighters after congratulating them on their graduation from the course.

"The UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, set women's empowerment on top of the country's national priorities, with women now being true partners and contributors to the national developmental drive and strategic plans for the nation's present and future," the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince continued to say.

The graduates expressed their appreciation for the paramount concern paid by the country's wise leadership to Emirati women and hailed the support provided by the UAE President and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince for empowering women across all walks of life.

The firefighters passed the foundation as well as the vocational training phases of the course which comprised training on job-related issues at the Police Academy in Sharjah and the Civil Defence Academy.

The training features hands-on exercises to enable the participants master new skills in addition to group activities to create social involvement, allow full participation.