Teach Middle East Magazine Nov-Dec 2015 Issue 2 Volume 3 | Page 40

NATIONAL DAY 2015 HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the UAE H is Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the President of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, which is the largest emirate in the UAE. He is also the commander of The Union Defence Force and is also renowned for his philanthropy. Below are some of his quotes on education. “Educating the individual is the country’s most valuable investment. It represents the foundation for progress and development.” “A true commitment to tapping all of the available work field, combined with a high enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge, broadening horizons and benefiting from modern science is necessary for the UAE to succeed in taking a forward step into the 21st century.” “In an effort to successfully build our nation, a large portion of this country’s income is invested in compensating opportunities for progress that may have passed us by, and in moving along with the progress of developed countries in order to support our main aim of advancing the UAE and the UAE national.” “Despite the educational achievements, the educational process is an ever-growing challenge in need of meticulous planning and rigorous efforts of programme development in order to keep up with modern technology and the fast paced technological advancement.” Source: http://www.pso.ae/aboutus. htm Distinguished Students Scholarships The British Era The English East India Company was formed in 1600. With the decline of the Dutch, British fortunes began to prosper to some extent but the AngloFrench rivalry for mastery of India and the Gulf led to a period of instability. In 1763, the Company opened a new ‘residency post’ for a native British official at Bushire, and secured the monopoly of the import of woolens into Persia to the exclusion of other European nations. This inaugurated a period of about two hundred years of undisputed British commercial and political supremacy in the area after the collapse of the Portuguese, Dutch and French positions. It also marked the beginning of the British Political Residency in the Gulf. this period. In 1806 a Qulnamah was concluded between the British and the Qawasim in which it was agreed that there would be peace between the two sides and that they would respect each other's property and subjects. This Qulnamah was considered the beginning of official British relations with the region comprising the UAE today. The Gulf was far from peaceful during The British government under the 38 | Nov - Dec 2015 | | Despite this agreement, attacks on British shipping continued and gradually increased. In 1820, the British concluded the General Treaty of Peace with the Sheikhs of the Arab coast. 1968 National Day Feature pressure of adverse economic conditions announced a termination of all its treaties protecting the Trucial States. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, along with Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, promptly initiated the move towards establishing a federation. This federation was meant to be the nucleus of Arab unity and to protect the potentially oil-rich coast from the ambitions of the more powerful neighbouring