Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

8 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I was named Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme for his lifelong advocacy and advancement of sustainable development. “If Allah the Almighty has favoured us with wealth, our first commitment is to seek Allah’s satisfaction and to express our gratitude to Him by utilising this wealth to make this country better and to bring goodness to its people.” -Sheikh Zayed Human Development From the very beginnings of his public career, the welfare of his people was of utmost importance to Sheikh Zayed. His remarkable vision, combined with his exceptional skills in making his goals into reality, led to vast improvements in education and infrastructure that facilitated economic growth for all. The women of the UAE also benefited from his views on equality in education and employment. “The woman is half of the society; any country which pursues development should not leave her in poverty or illiteracy.” While we may take this viewpoint for granted now, at the time it was astonishingly progressive. Now, women play key role in the UAE government, a third of them in senior positions. In the UAE, 70 per cent of university graduates are female – one of the highest rates worldwide – and in a first for the Arab world, it’s a requirement that women are represented on corporate boards of directors. Women also hold posts in the judiciary system, the diplomatic corps, and in the Cabinet. “No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or howmany bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind progress is the human spirit.”- Sheikh Zayed