ABU DHABI, 20th February, 2020 (WAM) — A UAE newspaper has said that tolerance in the country is not simply a textbook ideal, but a way of life in the UAE, adding that instituting a ministry of tolerance has further cemented the country’s commitment to the cause.In an editorial in Khaleej Times today, the paper highlighted that tolerance is so important to the UAE as amid countries – with centuries-old political traditions – the UAE is a relatively young player. That has, in effect, meant that it defines itself through a marriage of traditional as well as modern values. Tolerance, as an ideal espoused by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE, and idea that the modern world must aspire for, fits right in. The paper continued, Over the years, the UAE has also positioned itself as the bridge between the East and West, and their entry point to the perceived paradox that is the Middle East. With an 80 percent population comprising expats from different faiths and cultures and an emphasis on cultural assimilation, tolerance is at the heart of UAE’s internal and foreign policy. If it has been a social goal, it has also facilitated its economic ambitions. The easing of rules for commercial entities from outside in the free zones have enabled multinationals to foray into the region. The recent provision for long-term residence visas has only served to strengthen its claims of being an inclusionary society. While ‘tolerance’ may give the UAE an important currency, it also offers it a moral legitimacy to take on more hardline elements in the region, added the Dubai-based daily.