The 48th National Day United Arab Emirates

At the invitation of the Honorable Consul-General of United Arab Emirates, H.E Eng. Saeed Almheiri, iF Magazine was honored to be in attendance at a reception celebrating the UAE 48th National Day on Monday, December, 02, 2019 held at the Hyatt Regency Galleria. The National Day event, called A Celebration of Inclusion and Unity, closed the “Year of Tolerance” in the UAE by highlighting several milestones from the past year that underscored the UAE’s dedication to building a more inclusive and peaceful future for the Middle East region. The Pope’s February visit to the UAE was followed closely by the Special Olympics World Games, held in March in Abu Dhabi. 7,500 athletes from more than 190 countries competed at the event, which was the first ever World Games held in the Middle East. UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba remarked on the historical precedent while celebrating in Washington at the United States Institute of Peace, “To Emiratis, religious tolerance and inclusion is not a new, recently accepted concept. It is a way of life we have known and on which we were raised since before the country’s inception,” Ambassador Al Otaiba said, “Inclusion and acceptance is one of our core values – ingrained in the DNA of Emirati culture – and shared with the United States. It is a value that our founder, Sheikh Zayed believed in for the unity of our nation.”

By: Heidi Powell-Prera, iF Magazine