Dr. Obaid Saif Al ZaabiCEO of SCA
With great pride, we gather on this glorious day to observe a minute of silence in honor of the sacrifices of our valiant martyrs who gave their lives in defense of their homeland, religion, and the Arab identity. They sacrificed their souls in order for the Arab and Islamic people to continue to live in peace and stability.
Today, the UAE recalls the heroic deeds of its martyrs who set the greatest examples of belonging to our dear country and loyalty to our wise leadership. The sacrifices of our sons will always be remembered and their names will go down in history.
Martyrs’ Day is a day to honor the souls of our martyred sons who offered their blood and lives to defend the soil of the nation and its noble principles and to guard the Arabic and Islamic world against perceived enemies and terrorist acts. On this glorious day, we remember the sacrifices of Salem bin Suhail, who, 48 years ago, stood fearlessly in the face of the enemy, valiantly defending the Greater Tunb, a precious part of the country’s territories to preserve its dignity and sovereignty. He kept fighting till the last breath, thus was named the first Emirati martyr and his name went down in history.
We must recall here the Emirati martyrs who gave their lives while performing their duty as part of the Arab coalition’s Operation Restoring Hope. These martyrs embodied the values of patriotism and belonging and gave their lives to defend legitimacy in Yemen; help our Yemeni brothers against injustice and aggression; and restore freedom, pride, and dignity. We also recall the daily sacrifices of all Emirati people in all fields of life, whether to rescue drowning people or help fire victims, to ensure the stability of our society.
On this day, Emirati citizens will be gathering at Wahat Al Karama (Oasis of Dignity) to pay tribute to our fallen heroes and to pray to Almighty Allah to have mercy upon our martyrs and rest their soul in peace. The UAE will always remember its loyal sons who gave their lives to protect their nation, thus instilling the noble values in young Emirati generations.