Emir of Abu Dhabi (… – 2004) and founder of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), his Royal Highness SHEIK ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN – whose 100th birthday anniversary is celebrated this year – is first and foremost a visionary. He was also a man of action in the service of his people! He fought to free his people from the British colonial yoke; he then endeavoured for the unity of the seven emirates comprising the UAE. He made a political and diplomatic stunt by staying safe in a perilous Middle East with the Arab-Israeli conflict, the birth of OPEC and the heroic struggle against Western countries. He managed to impose fair and remunerative oil prices, in a world plagued by the cold war. Not to mention the neighborhood with Iran which added to the hampers. The patriotic choice by SHEIK ZAYED was bold, tenacious and clear-sighted. He enabled the UAE to emerge and gain international recognition using multifaceted synergies politically, diplomatically and economically. By pooling resources and efforts, the UAE has become a real world economic power. The UAE owes such success to the founder SHEIK ZAYED who left behind a coherent vision, a patriotic commitment and clear-headed action to remember forever. With the oil windfall he also made wise decisions by focusing on the education of young Emiratis, both boys and girls. So, significant scholarships were awarded to thousands of young people for them to further their studies in the best universities in the world. And once senior executives had been trained, SHEIK ZAYED opted for relocating famous Western universities to Abu Dhabi. Now the on-site learning opportunities are impressive, so international students are flocking to the country where the conditions of study, quality of teaching and excellence of the academic staff recruited worldwide are unanimously appreciated. The Emiratis are aware of what they owe to SHEIK ZAYED, their inspired and dedicated guide to the cause of his people. He also advocated universal peace because he was a man of faith, godly, open and generous. These exceptional relations with President SENGHOR of Senegal, which led to the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, in the 1970s, speak volumes about his ability to anticipate and willingness to make the UAE a political and diplomatic stakeholder. SENGHOR had the same vision for Senegal, a small country in size, but a diplomatic giant by its commitment and the quality of its political staff. The UAE is getting closer to Senegal in this respect since smallness has never been a handicap for men of vision whose intelligence is at the service of the whole mankind. The example of SHEIK ZAYED, founder of the UAE is a source of inspiration for all statesmen, enlightened patriots whose goal is to emancipate their people through the quest for knowledge and well-being. Abu Dhabi is a case study: the economic boom allowed to develop the cult of the beautiful and to meet the requirements for the quality of life. The creation of the Ministries of Tolerance and Joy says a lot about the ideological choice of humanistic openness of the Emirate. Abu Dhabi is poles apart from obscurantism that lowers the mind and impedes creativity and therefore freedom. Senegal, which is stepping into oil development, has a source of inspiration. The petrodollars that will change the lives of Senegalese citizens might bring the best and the worst. All depends on the choice of the citizens and on the leadership which will, positively or not, direct their use in the service of the whole Nation. Abu Dhabi is a living and vibrant reality of the sensible use of the oil windfall. After thanking ALLAH Who has granted them such a bounty, the people are endlessly in praise of the political and economic management by SHEIK ZAYED, who placed the country in a dynamics of shared prosperity and social peace.
