The UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced plans to establish a permanent tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father.

The memorial will be officially opened in 2018 in order to coincide with the national Year of Zayed that has been declared by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The memorial, which is currently under construction, will be located at the intersection of 1st and 2nd Street alongside the corniche in the nation's capital, Abu Dhabi, and will span an area of 3.3 hectares.  Its centrepiece will be a monumental public artwork surrounded by a public plaza with local landscaping.  

The nature and design of the public artwork will not be officially revealed until the inauguration of the memorial in 2018, said a statement.

The memorial is expected to attract all members of the diverse UAE population, which includes people of more than 200 nationalities, and international visitors from all over the world. It will explore the late Sheikh Zayed's legacy and demonstrate how he paved the way for current and future generations to contribute to their nation’s ongoing progress and prosperity, it said.

In honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the memorial is intended to be an inspirational destination that takes visitors on a journey that captures his life, his goodness compassion and humanitarianism, his unique wisdom and his vision for the future. It will also honour his dedication to the UAE and its people, and promote the values of tolerance, co-existence, and equality that he lived by, the statement added.

Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs, said the late Sheikh Zayed's legacy of care for his homeland and the world is proof of the unique qualities he possessed, including the values of love, goodness, giving, and standing by all those in need.

"It is our duty as a nation, and our future generation's obligation, to recognise and remember Sheikh Zayed as a symbol of humanity and unity for generations on end," he said.

"This memorial is a strong testament to Sheikh Zayed's legacy, and as per the directives of the wise leadership, is an affirmative recognition of the founding ruler's pioneering leadership that created a clear roadmap to build and strengthen our nation," Al Za'abi concluded. – TradeArabia News Service