Greetings! Welcome everybody.

It is great pleasure to open the events of this knowledge festival about tolerance and coexistence with you. We launch this festival based on our firm conviction of the importance to spread knowledge and awareness of civilizations, cultures and different beliefs to support the values of peace, understanding and coexistence, contribute to prevent racism, extremism, hatred and combat all forms of discrimination. The festival will give strong foundation to build fruitful relationships among people and ensure a safe entrance to achieve peace and harmony in the society and all over the world.
It is my pleasure to greet the school and university students who take part in this festival, appreciating them all and their enthusiasm to participate in such momentous activity. This experience will allow them to focus on the development of the principles and values of knowing one another and dialogue, make use of the experiences and opinions of others, build fruitful relations across borders and cultures in addition to the keenness to reach creativity, achievements and excellence in their educational path. As we all know, they are the foremost values and principles in the path of progress and prosperity in the United Arab Emirates which are established by the founder of the state, may Allah forgive him, the Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — may Allah reward him. In Eshraqat festival, through the strong confirmation on the principles and basis established by the great Founder of the State, we together express our pride of our UAE and of what Allah has bestowed upon it in terms of wise leadership, great people and stable system that provide us with fixed path across which we can realize more constant progress and success.
Thanks to Allah, United Arab Emirates is a state of tolerance, justice, equality and the rule of law — it fully embodies the concepts of peace and coexistence in their highest sense. We can see the state’s notable keenness to build relations among the members of society on active dialogue and fruitful reaction in order to live together in intimateness, peace and common quest to achieve goodness and development across the nation and worldwide. Praise to Allah, we are a state where the leadership works in cooperation with the people and they all are united for the sake of an important national principle, which is always stressed in all acts and words of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; which is that the convergence of the human being, dialogue, tolerance, understanding and joint action are the way for a world where peace, prosperity and stability prevail.

Ladies and gentlemen, this knowledge festival reflects the important programs and activities that the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence and the Ministry of Education carry out to celebrate tolerance and coexistence in the UAE schools and universities, and explains its important role in enriching the student’s educational experience and in developing its integrated personality, emphasizing its abilities of observation and discovery and initiating activities. At the same time, it enhances its self-confidence, pride in the homeland, openness to the world and the ability to work within a team and even helps it to excel in his work and study.
Ladies and gentlemen, this knowledge festival is also a celebration of the important achievements in the education sector in our country, of the country’s important position in the areas of tolerance and coexistence all over the world, NS of the strong connection to the authentic roots of the UAE society. At the same time, this society is characterized by its keenness on adopting advanced knowledge and striving to affirm all noble human principles at all levels.
It is a true pleasure that this festival confirms that the role of children and youth, in promoting culture of tolerance and coexistence, is not limited to theoretical discussions, but is also a field for practical projects, volunteer programs and public service. This festival also confirms that this important role is being constantly developed through the provision of educational and training opportunities in addition to the appropriate educational knowledge and resources within an environment that encourages the student to continuously learn, search for new ideas and benefit from what the resources offer including a great diversity of ideas, experiences and perceptions, so that the new generations are always able to eliminate any feeling of marginalization, frustration or inaction. On the contrary, they strive with all effort to do good and to achieve all that Allah has endowed them with including power and capabilities. We always assert that talking about the role of young people in promoting a culture of tolerance and coexistence is in fact a talk about their role in shaping the economic and social future in the state and the world, and about developing their abilities to interact with the challenges of this future with the ability, efficiency and mastery. They always striving to build extended and successful relationships with their colleagues at home and abroad and constantly keen to contribute to the development of the achievements of the world around them.

I pray to Allah Almighty, to help the children and youth in the United Arab Emirates and all over the world to prepare others and be prepared to carry out their responsibilities in the service of society and humanity and to make them always the pillars of the future, support of society, and a positive impetus towards a world of tolerance, peace, security and stability.
Once again, welcome everybody and thank you. May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.