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Realizing the vision required honoring the past and the sacrifices made by our ancestors to build a legacy for generations to come. Just as the pearl divers relied on tenacity, resilience, and teamwork, so too the leaders and people of the newly united country. Sheikh Zayed also recognized the necessity of adapting to a rapidly changing world for the UAE to succeed. Although oil brought wealth, Sheikh Zayed knew that relying solely on one industry was insufficient when it came to ensuring stability for all of the UAE s citizens. Only by diversifying and investing in its people would true prosperity be achieved. In the nearly half-century since the UAE came into existence, the shared vision of Sheikh Zayed and of the other founding fathers has come to fruition. The country s strength stems from both its history and its present, from its commitment to its core values, and from its vision of an even richer future for its people, and for the world.

The formation of the UAE began with the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He understood that the unification of the seven emirates would require an unwavering commitment to, and sustained belief in, the possibilities that a unification would bring.