What would have Zayed done today? Sheikh Mohammed pays rich tribute to UAE founder

Dubai - Today, Ramadan 19 - which is the death anniversary of the late Sheikh Zayed - is marked as the Zayed Humanitarian Day in the UAE.

By Staff Report

Published: Tue 12 May 2020, 2:52 PM

Last updated: Wed 13 May 2020, 4:01 PM

The UAE Vice-President has paid an emotional tribute to the humanitarian legacy of the country's beloved founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Taking to Twitter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, posted a powerful video with a simple caption: "What would have Zayed done today?"

Today, Ramadan 19 - which is the death anniversary of the late Sheikh Zayed - is marked as the Zayed Humanitarian Day in the UAE. The day this year is being marked even as the UAE fights the Covid-19 pandemic. True to his humanitarian legacy, the UAE has been carrying on its beloved founding father's mission by dispatching medical aid to other countries, helping them weather the crises brought about the outbreak.

The video posted by Sheikh Mohammed chronicles how the country's leaders and residents have been actively fighting the spread of Covid-19. It shows how the country's leaders, including Sheikh Mohammed, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, have led these efforts from the front.

The video concludes that the late founding father would have been proud of his nation and people because "they are doing exactly what he would have done".

What would have Zayed done today ? pic.twitter.com/cLnKFweMKz
- HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) May 12, 2020

Full transcript of the powerful video

"What would have Zayed done today? He would have made humanity contagious. He would have eased the pain by being caring, reassuring, supportive. He would have been the leader who, when the world is pausing, he's already preparing for what's next.

"What would Zayed have done today? He would have treated locals and expats like his sons and daughters. He would have opened his arms and heart to the world when the world is in confinement. He would have spread solidarity, brotherhood and unity. He would have been generous, genuine and a visionary. During the darkest times, a source of hope when hope is lost. An inspiration for life when the world is ill. He would have been the rock who has the power to move the nation forward. He would have made the impossible, possible. Because the human spirit can never be stopped.

"What would have Zayed done today? He would have been proud of his nation and its people, because they are doing exactly what he would have done. He would have been a witness to the greatness that he had founded. Today, his spirit is still here in each one of us, leading the way to remain a powerful nation where our power lies in our values."