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40-day mourning ends today

ABU DHABI — As the 40-day-long official mourning period for the Founding President of the Nation, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan draws to a close today, the citizens of the UAE, both expatriates and nationals, are reconciled to the fact that a kind and gallant knight had dismounted from the saddle, yielding place to a worthy successor in his eldest son His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In tributes paid to Shaikh Zayed, in a special issue dedicated to his memory, senior officials of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and its group of companies, noted that in teaching us the true meaning of love, generosity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, Shaikh Zayed has left behind a legacy that should inspire the future generations to shoulder responsibilities and lend further substance to his vision and mission.

Published under the title ‘Sincere Deeds Remain’, the tributes referred to Shaikh Zayed swiftly recognising oil as an important source of economic wealth, while not losing track of the belief that the true wealth of the nation is its youth and that progress lies in imbibing them with the values and traditions of the land.

Yousef Omair bin Yousef, Secretary-General of the Supreme Petroleum Council and CEO of Adnoc, recalled the sterling words of Shaikh Zayed: “The desert teaches us patience and to wait for the fruits to ripen. We must continue the forward march to achieve all-round progress for the country.”

Eid Abdullah Al Dharif, Director, HRAD, said that while Shaikh Zayed had given the younger generation all facilities for education to hone their talents, he had urged them not to be swept away by the attractions of modern life, keeping in mind the sufferings and hardship their ancestors had gone through.