Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
More than 50 years later, the unity and collective spirit that built the Union continue to build the UAE, Emiratis told Aletihad. These long-held principles, they said, make up the same force behind the mega projects, national systems, and infrastructure that place the country among the world's best.
As the UAE marks Union Pledge Day — when the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his fellow Rulers signed the Declaration of the Union and the Constitution — nationals look back on how far the country has come.
Author Fatima Al Mazrouei described Union Pledge Day as an occasion that highlights the “unity, loyalty, collective action and devotion to the nation” upon which the Emirates was founded.
"These values are not merely a part of history; they are embodied today in numerous national projects that directly impact the lives of community members,” Al Mazrouei said.
The transformative Etihad Rail network, the game-changing digital ID UAE Pass, the national health insurance system, and the unified UAE Armed Forces are but a few of the major milestones that Emiratis cited as proof of unity in action.
Al Mazrouei described the Etihad Rail as a clear, tangible example of the seven emirates being one, as it connects the country through a modern, transportation network.
She also highlighted the unification of the Armed Forces as "one of the most important pillars of the Union”, saying it has strengthened national security and reinforced that protecting the homeland is a shared responsibility.
"National achievements today continue to fulfil the vision of the Founding Fathers," Al Mazrouei said, pointing to advances in innovation, education, healthcare, space exploration, digital transformation, among others.
Saif Al Harthi, an Emirati poet, agreed that the UAE’s landmark projects are all “fundamentally based on the idea of building and sustaining this nation”.
He referred to Etihad Rail as "the train of the present and the train of the future”, connecting generations while strengthening national unity.
Flagship initiatives related to the economy, culture, and national identity all share the same purpose, he added.
"All major projects in the UAE are a stream flowing from a single source: consolidating and strengthening the Union and its values."
For Al Harthi, Union Pledge Day marked the first step towards an era of unity, guided by “the pledge of Sheikh Zayed”, which will forever live in the hearts of Emiratis.
"National achievements are links in a chain of survival, development, glory and elevation,” he said.
"The founders laid the first foundations and raised the structure. Today, the wise leadership, under President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continues on the same path."
