The UAE paid tribute to the country’s heroes at Abu Dhabi’s Wahat Al Karama memorial on Saturday.
Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, led the Commemoration Day ceremony honouring the sacrifices and bravery of the UAE armed forces.
At the ceremony, the families of 18 members of the armed forces were honoured with the Martyr Medal in recognition of their noble sacrifices. A gun salute was fired as fighter jets flew overhead.
The poignant event was attended by members of the royal families, ministers and officials. Relatives of those remembered and honoured on Saturday reflected on the loss of their loved ones.
Nasser Marwan Ali Shehhi, 22, was a young child when his brother, Khalid Al Shehi, was martyred in 2015. “We were getting ready to go to the Dubai Shopping Festival when I heard my mother scream,” he told The National, recalling the moment she had received the news. Khalid Al Shehi left behind two children, now aged 13 and ten.
Halima Al Blooshi, 30, lost her husband, Sameer Al Blooshi, in 2017. Their son, who is now eight years old, was aged one at the time, and now wants to join the military like his father. “He doesn’t want me to go to the military because he says he doesn’t want to lose me, but he says he wants to go to the military to continue his father’s legacy," Ms Al Blooshi said.
"He is so proud and always wants to meet his father’s friends and dress in military clothes on National Day.
"I’m proud,” she added. “Not just that my husband sacrificed his life for his country, but that I, as a young woman, could raise my son on my own and that I didn’t allow anything to break me. I was only 22 at the time, but with the support of the government, we stand strong and proud and ready to do it all over again.”
Abdulla Al Marzooqi, a chemical engineer at Adnoc Onshore, was one of the 18 individuals who was awarded the honorary medal. His son, Nahyan, was martyred two months ago. "At first it was a shock, but then you get an overwhelming feeling of pride. Nahyan made me proud when he served his country and even prouder when he sacrificed his life for his country,” Mr Al Marzooqi said.
Nahyan was the eldest of his seven children. “And they would all happily enlist right now,” said Mr Al Marzooqi. “During Nahyan’s funeral, the royal family came to pay their respects – even people from outside the country came. I don’t think this would happen in any other country, where you have the entire royal family come to share in your sadness and do their utmost to relieve your pain. I am a proud Emirati who is proud of my government and even prouder that my son died in service.”
Earlier in the day, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, attended a silent prayer at Wahat Al Karama. The UAE flag was raised as the national anthem played.
Sheikh Theyab reaffirmed that the UAE’s fallen heroes remain in the hearts of the people, and that their sacrifices will be proudly remembered for generations to come.
The UAE marks Commemoration Day every year on November 30. It was first introduced in 2015 by the late President Sheikh Khalifa.
It was initially established to commemorate policeman Salem Suhail bin Khamis, who died on November 30, 1971, while defending the island of Greater Tunb from Iranian forces.
The memorial site, which was first opened to the public in 2016, immortalises the sacrifices made by the UAE’s heroes.
The memorial’s most eminent feature is the 31 towering aluminium-clad panels leaning on each other alongside the plaza’s shallow pool. The names of the fallen heroes are engraved on the panels. Comprising eight slabs, the pavilion’s roof symbolises the unity of the seven emirates and the country’s heroes.
UAE leaders pay tribute to the nation’s heroes
President Sheikh Mohamed paid tribute to members of the UAE armed forces with a special social media post.
"On Commemoration Day, we solemnly honour the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service of the UAE," Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X. "With enduring gratitude for their efforts to uphold the safety, security, and integrity of our beloved nation, we pray for our heroes to rest in eternal peace and dignity."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the occasion not only recognises the sacrifices of military personnel but members of the diplomatic corps, security services, civil defence and healthcare workers, including those who lost their lives combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
"For the ninth consecutive year, we come together to honour our heroes, who have moved to an eternal abode under the care of the Almighty," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"They live on, celebrated and dignified, in the annals of our history and the hearts of our people. As the years pass and priorities shift, their legacy remains steadfast – a beacon of the values that define us as a nation."
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
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