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Zayed encouraged free Press

ABU DHABI — Though the interests and concerns of the late president, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan primarily centred round the growth and development of the UAE, his efforts transcended in ample measure the boundaries of his land to reach out to all Arab and Islamic states.

"And he did this with his own characteristic simplicity and modesty and with a human touch where there was no room for discrimination," said Dr Abdullah Dawood Al Azdi, former Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as he recalled some memorable moments he had spent with Shaikh Zayed whom he first met in the year 1955.

Dr Al Azdi was then working for an oil consortium and later on had the privilege to accompany Shaikh Zayed on some foreign trips when he played the role of a translator, he said.

Despite Shaikh Zayed's hectic schedule, that saw him work almost 18 hours a day, to build the fledgling nation, he never lost track of all contemporary developments worldwide.

He encouraged a free Press, of course, subject to certain constraints underpinning the spiritual, moral and political integrity of the country, Dr Al Azdi said, recalling the day when Shaikh Zayed released the first copy of Al Ittihad Arabic newspaper when it turned a daily in 1971.

Shaikh Zayed used to be visibly upset over reports of fragmentation, strife and disparity, and was a firm believer that any contentious issue can be resolved through consensus and consultations, if the determination is firm and the intentions are sincere.

"Some other valuable lessons I learnt from him were the virtues in upholding the principles of justice, mercy, sacrifice, peace and harmony and benevolence," he said.

Though Dr Al Azdi's professional engagements were in the oil sector, he said that the privilege of association with Shaikh Zayed turned him into an avid environmentalist.

"If you ask me, the transformation that the UAE witnessed under the leadership and guidance of Shaikh Zayed cannot be described just as a miracle; it is more the result of sustained hard work to turn dreams into reality," he commented.