Today the UAEU Pavilion and the Fazaa Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrated the UAE s 50th National Day with a joint event in honor of the founding father s achievements in building a strong federation. The celebration focused on the shining achievements in the nation s history. His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to His Highness the UAE President and Chancellor of the UAEU, led the delegation of university leaders and members of the faculty and administrative staff.

The Chancellor said, I am proud to stand before you here in the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our Union. People from all over the world dream of visiting Expo 2020 Dubai, and when they arrive, they are astonished. Therefore, it is fitting that we are here for our celebration of the fifty years during which our nation has achieved the impossible, making dreams a reality. The Chancellor recalled the important events that preceded the Union and led to the foundation of the UAE. He outlined the strategic vision and the significant moments of the early years. He said, Sheikh Zayed is forever in our thoughts, and his legacy lives on. The evidence of his values, actions, and generosity surround us.

Our present wise leadership are faithful to the philosophy and institutions of governance that he inspired. They follow his approach, directing their actions towards progress and prosperity. Their vision looks further forward still. They foresee the nation s greater achievements and broader horizons. In this future, the UAE will enhance its regional and global reputation.

The Chancellor explained that Sheikh Zayed built the UAE to enshrine and enable tolerance. Each and every one of us are proud of Sheikh Zayed s humanitarian values and tolerance. He is an example of humanity that it is difficult to describe in just a few words. His leadership and motives in establishing the nation were humanitarian, driven by a set of values. The most prominent of these values were tolerance, acceptance, and the peaceful coexistence of all peoples, no matter their race, language, custom, or religion. Humanitarianism is the UAE s soft power. It has informed the approach of our wise leadership, and has become a global model and inspiration.

Recalling moments in the UAE s global leadership, the Chancellor said, This year we prepare for the next fifty years. Yet even in this year alone, we have achieved a series of landmark successes and conquered the impossible. We have seen out the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, despite the unforeseen challenges brought by the pandemic, we have launched the Hope Probe into space and operated the first phase of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

In this way, we show we are ready for the next phase of development and all that is required. We take with us the lessons and success of the past. We continue our focus on human wellbeing, human development, and human capability. We seek happiness and the highest quality of life, desiring a bright future for all future generations in this nation. We are bound by the common purpose to ensure the UAE remains one of the best countries in the world .

Concluding his remarks the Chancellor said, Today we celebrate the start of the next fifty years, and we preserve Sheikh Zayed s philosophy and values. Sheikh Zayed remains forever in our hearts as a symbol and role model of goodness. In the future, we must represent his values in our actions and our words. We must learn about his life at school and at university. We should study his unique biography to ensure future generations of citizens and residents follow his example, preserve Emirati values and traditions, and place happiness and mutual wellbeing at the center of the nation s development .