Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, have affirmed that fathers represent a model, a gift, and a legacy that spans generations, through the pivotal role they play in building the family, instilling authentic values and morals, and raising children — emphasising the enduring impact they leave on the lives of their children and their communities.
Their statements came in posts on their respective accounts on the platform X, on the occasion of Father's Day, in which they praised the role of fathers in cementing values of love and responsibility and shaping the future of generations. They also recalled fathers' grace and their enduring generosity, and prayed for mercy upon those who have passed, in recognition of their contributions to building the family and society and strengthening their progress and stability.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, affirmed that a father is a pillar of support and a role model, a symbol of giving and dedication for the happiness, stability, and security of the family. He praised the pivotal role fathers play in raising children, instilling authentic values and morals, and opening pathways of success and hope before future generations.
In a post on X, His Highness said that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, will forever remain a symbol of fatherhood that built a nation with wisdom, compassion, love, and responsibility. He extended his salutations to every father who walks this path, and called for God's blessings upon fathers in the UAE and around the world, and for His mercy upon those who have departed, for what they represent as a fundamental pillar of the strength of society and the progress of the nation.
His Highness wrote on his account: "A father is the pillar and the role model, a symbol of giving and dedication for the happiness, stability, and security of the family. On Father's Day, we remember our father Zayed, may God have mercy on him — a symbol of fatherhood that built a nation with wisdom, compassion, love, and responsibility. We salute every father who walks this path, caring for his family with love, instilling in his children authentic values and morals, and opening before them the doors of hope and the future, so that our families remain forever a source of strength for our society and progress for our nation. May God bless fathers in the UAE and the world, and have mercy on those who have departed from this world."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that fathers leave enduring marks on the lives of their children and communities through the values they instil, the achievements they build, and the generosity they offer — an impact that extends across generations.
His Highness added that Father's Day represents an opportunity to recall fathers' grace, their lives and journeys, and what they planted, created, and left behind as a human and moral legacy. He prayed for mercy upon those who have passed and called upon God to protect those who remain.
His Highness wrote in a post on X: "On Father's Day… we recall their grace, we recall their lives and journeys. We are what they planted, we are what they made and built, we are what they left behind. May God have mercy on them… and may God protect those who remain among them."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also evoked aspects of the life of his father, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may his soul rest in peace, through a video he attached to the post. The video contained excerpts from his book Life Taught Me, which shed light on the most prominent personal and leadership qualities that distinguished the late Sheikh.
The excerpts highlighted Sheikh Rashid's composure, decisiveness, and good faith, his aversion to flattery and praise, and his methodology of deliberation, reflection, and consultation before making decisions — reflecting the values and principles that defined his leadership approach and left an enduring mark on Dubai's journey and development.
The video included words in which His Highness recalled the qualities of his father, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, as recorded in his book Life Taught Me, saying:
"My father was rarely angry or emotional; he was good-natured and disliked deception. My father was composed and resolute; he was not swayed by praise or acclaim, and flattery did not work on him. He would not take the first impression of any matter at face value, but would contemplate it, reflect, consult, and ask."
In a deeply moving act of loyalty, His Highness also invoked the memory of his father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, through verses of poetry he recited in his own voice, evoking his father's strength, wisdom, and steadfastness, and the immortal impression he left in the hearts of his children and those who loved him. His Highness said:
And in the caravan, Rashid — immortal he remains,
In hearts that love him, forever remembered.
And Rashid made every hardship easier to bear,
And Rashid rose to meet whatever befell us.
He carried our burdens and heavy loads,
Whoever Rashid girded — know he shall not lose.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, affirmed that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, was a father to all who lived on the soil of the UAE. He noted that Sheikh Zayed was a school of wisdom, a model of generosity, a teacher of humanity, and a guardian of the family, which he made the cornerstone of building the nation.
In a post on X on the occasion of Father's Day, His Highness said that Sheikh Zayed represents the founding father who instilled values and built the human being before building infrastructure. He offered prayers for His Highness's boundless mercy, while affirming pride in every father who continues to plant Zayed's approach in his children and builds a family that contributes to shaping the future and preserving the nation's journey.
His Highness wrote: "Zayed bin Sultan… my father… and a father to all who lived on the soil of the UAE… He was a school of wisdom, a model of generosity, a teacher of humanity, and a guardian of the family, which he made the cornerstone of building the nation."
His Highness added: "On Father's Day, we ask God to envelop him in His boundless mercy, and we salute every father who plants Zayed's values in his children, and builds a family that shapes the future and preserves the nation's journey."