GENEVA 12 May 2017: The United Arab Emirates has renewed its commitment to continue as an open, tolerant and hospitable community for expatriates and to promote them as contributors to development, not a source of threat.
This came in a speech delivered today by Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, before the Inter-Governmental Forum on Human Rights of All Migrants.
“Since the establishment of federation in 1971, the UAE managed to create a smooth change in its demographic structure that led to a high level of diversity and multi-culturalism and contributed to enhancing the country’s social and economic development,”Al Zaabi said.
Expats & Citizens
He added that the UAE’s ability to manage the changes was based on two pillars; commitment to tolerance and focusing on how best UAE citizens can benefit from such demographic changes.
He referred to the UAE leadership’s vision for the country as an open, tolerant and hospitable society, while maintaining its unity and coherence and the commitment to promote expatriates as true contributors to development, not a source of threat.
He also said the UAE government is the only in the world that has a ministry for tolerance.
Al Zaabi noted that the UAE hosting of 200 different nationalities was at no time at the expense of its citizens.
“The UAE is a tolerant and hospitable society and will continue to attract highly skilled expatriates from all over the world,” he added.
By Angel Chan