اقرأ باللغة العربية                                                                                 

Dear colleagues, guests, partners, and friends, 

Congratulations and greetings.

Today, I share my heartfelt congratulations to the people of the UAE on its 49th National Day, which marks the anniversary of the UAE’s unity. On this momentous day, in 1971, the founding father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan proclaimed an independent and sovereign UAE. In this endeavour, he was supported by his brothers, the co-founding rulers of six other states, who declared their pride by uniting the emirates to support the progress, development, and renaissance of one entity.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision of the union was continued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in conjunction with the UAE’s wise leadership, thereby raising the global status of the UAE. It is for this reason that our National Day celebrations carry such weight and importance for our citizens and residents.

This progress was made possible through the brave and laudable efforts of the people of the UAE. Working together in solidarity, they sowed the seeds of this beautiful country. We are eternally grateful for their gallant efforts, which are today illustrated in the nation’s numerous achievements. Rapid growth in the economy and advancements in education, energy and health have created a nation that gives to its citizens an unparalleled quality of life.

Today is a day, which fills me with great pride and unwavering love for our glorious country. With its world-class hospitality sector, the UAE has made its mark in the world as a leading tourist destination and claimed its place in the top 10 list of best travel destinations in the world. The projects launched and supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai have elevated the local tourism sector to the highest levels.

We live today in unprecedented times and I cannot praise highly enough the measures implemented by the UAE government in the fight against the pandemic. From the offset, the UAE set a commendable example for the world in managing the virus and for that we are forever grateful. It is a remarkable achievement to rank first in the list of the safest countries in the Middle East and 11th among 100 countries around the world.

We are proud that the foundation of our group started in our beloved UAE in 1992 and today, Rotana has become the fastest-growing hotel group in the Middle East. Rotana’s accomplishments are a result of a development-oriented vision of the UAE founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted the UAE to be a unique incubator for futuristic innovations. Over the years, Rotana has succeeded with excellent service, futuristic ideas and innovative strategy by adhering to its strong beliefs and values, thereby taking hospitality to the next level.

We are thankful that we overcame the peak of the pandemic with great determination. At Rotana, our teams acted diligently from the start of the outbreak to develop an action plan following all the governmental directives and launched the “Rotana Safe Space” programme. Our hotels implemented the strictest protocols to protect our guests, employees, and partners. We also reached out to governments across the region to offer our properties and resources in support of their efforts to deal with this unprecedented situation. As always, the health, safety, and welfare of our team members and guests continues to remain our highest priority and we would like to thank every one of our team for their commitment through these challenging times.

By uniting behind this shared sense of purpose, we have come together more than ever before as a community. Today, with the near development of the vaccine, we are hopeful that the situation will gradually improve. Rotana remains resilient and with your continued support, we will grow stronger. We will continue to excel, achieve and offer exceptional service to our guests; with a unique blend of world-class standards and genuine hospitality, making every moment spent with us a moment of “Treasured Time”.