Organised under the kind auspices of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the wise guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and with the guidance of H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Adviser to H.H. the President of the UAE, President of the Camel Racing Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, the Sheikh Zayed Festival concluded its activities yesterday, April 1st, 2022, after four months of unforgettable daily activities and events at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.Over the past four and a half months, the Festival has succeeded in attracting huge crowds who came to visit from all over the world. The Festival is named in honor of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in recognition of the fundamental role he played in preserving the traditions and culture of the United Arab Emirates while leading its people on a comprehensive journey of development.Held under the theme “UAE Uniting Civilizations”, the Festival reflected the authentic values and beliefs of the United Arab Emirate’s culture and society that are based on openness, coexistence, tolerance, and acceptance of the other.
The Festival enjoyed great success that has enhanced its reputation as a global event that gathers international civilisations within its grounds, where its audiences were delighted by a huge array of fun and entertaining events for the whole family, giving visitors the unique experience of interacting with replicas of 24 traditional neighborhoods from around the world, each of which reflects different aspects of other civilizations, with traditional markets, fascinating shows, folkloric dances and music and a wonderful glimpse into other societies.His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Adviser to His Highness the President, President of the Camel Racing Federation and Chairman of the Festival’s Organizational Committee, of the Sheikh Zayed Festival, extended his thanks to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, for his generous sponsorship of the Festival, and also thanked H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his continued support for the Festival and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his tireless follow-up on the Festival.His Excellency commended the role of the Organizing High Committee for the Festival and its efforts to make it such a success, and deliver the cultural and humanitarian message of the Festival to the world. He also praised the role of the strategic partners, participants, volunteers and task forces who had worked tirelessly throughout the Festival.
His Excellency stressed that this year’s Festival had been exceptional, particularly as it coincided with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the UAE on its 50th anniversary, a glorious occasion during which the Festival dedicated its events to showcasing the values and concepts on which the United Arab Emirates was founded, and paid homage to the efforts of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who laid the foundations for the UAE and prepared the land and his people for the future to which the UAE aspires over the next 50 years.H.E. Humaid Saeed Al Neyadi, Director of the Private Office of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Festival, also thanked President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his generous sponsorship of the Festival, expressing his gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his continued support, and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his diligent follow-up on the Festival.H.E. Al Neyadi stressed that the keen interest of the wise leadership in sponsoring and supporting the Festival contributed to the consolidation of its global reputation for uniting civilisations and reflecting the Emirati culture, and extended his thanks to H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan for his continuous support, follow up and directives on the Festival.The Organizing High Committee of the Festival gave thanks and appreciation to all the partners, sponsors, the Abu Dhabi Police, Takatof volunteers and participating entities in this edition of the Festival, expressing gratitude for the great role played by all parties to enhance the Festival’s reputation becoming a truly exemplary model for different world civilizations coming together, and a valuable cultural and entertainment event that attracted many nations and civilizations to take part, coming from every corner of the world.