SimplyAbuDhabi XLI

His role as President Sheikh Khalifa assumed his posts as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and as the President of the United Arab Emirates on 3 November 2004 upon the death of his esteemed father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as the UAE’s President from 1971 to 2004. His key objective as President of the UAE was to continue on the path laid down by his father, whose legacy, he says, “will continue to be the beacon guiding us into the future, a prosperous future where security and stability will reign.” Soon after being elected, Sheikh Khalifa began to follow this path in earnest, launching his first strategic plan for the government of the UAE to achieve balanced and sustainable development in order to ensure the prosperity of UAE nationals. The most notable example of this was Sheikh Khalifa’s ability to steer the development of the oil and gas sector, as well the downstream industries that have contributed so successfully to the country’s economic diversification. He undertook extensive tours throughout the UAE to study the needs of the Northern Emirates, during which he gave instructions for building of a number of projects related to housing, education and social services. In addition, he launched an initiative for developing a legislative authority to modify the technique of selecting members of the Federal National Council through direct elections. Re-elected as President in 2009, Sheikh Khalifa pledged to continue with implementing the ambitious strategies for political, administrative, economic, social and cultural development that he had started in his first term. His stewardship and focus on good governance and the integrity of the Federation proved a blessing in times of financial and regional turmoil. His initiatives During his rule, Sheikh Khalifa launched several initiatives and decisions, aiming to improve the quality of life and achieve the nation’s highest priorities and development goals. The initiatives include The Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, a roadmap and a methodology 102 | Simply Abu Dhabi