The 39th anniversary of the National Day of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is celebrated on the second December is an opportunity to highlight the social welfare projects set up by the Founder of the modern United Arab Emirates late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan over the past three decades and continued by H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE.
Sheikh Zayed's legacy will live on, not only in the UAE but around the world. He provided better living for needy in different parts of the world. His love for humanity is manifested by the establishment of many social welfare projects in various parts of the world and especially in Pakistan.
More than 200 projects covering many sectors including hospitals, schools, housing units are set up in various parts of Pakistan for the benefit of the people scattered in the far flung areas or other poor classes. Meanwhile the projects set up in major cities have become landmarks and are known for their unwavering services to the population such as Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan hospital in Lahore, Sheikh Zayed International Academy in Islamabad, Khalifa Hospitals in Muzaffarabad and Rawlakot.
These projects reflect the kindness and affection of the leaders of the United Arab Emirates to deserving people who were provided with drinking water for them and their livestock, bringing life to arid lands and schooling for their children. It is not far away when inhabitants of such remote areas have to travel miles to fetch water and send their children miles away to schools in variant climate.
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Rulers of the Emirates are carrying forward the legacy of late Sheikh Zayed, the Founder of the UAE by setting up more social welfare projects throughout Pakistan such as hospitals, dispensaries health care centres, schools, Islamic centres, conservation of wild life centres roads, water supply etc.
The latest projects are two similar hospitals in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir named "Sheikh Khalifa hospital" which are serving mainly 2005 earthquake affected people. A Plan is set up for the construction of emergency hospital in the Chak Shehzad outskirts of the capital. In Mansehra district, the construction of Sheikh Khalifa city in Ghari Habibullah is now in the finishing phase. The 200 houses of this model city will be distributed among the earthquake victims of Balakot.
The leaders of the UAE have always stressed on the importance of education. One of the main institutes is "Sheikh Zayed International Academy" in Islamabad Adding to recreational facilities in Islamabad, a swimming pool and a gymnasium covering 22,500 Sq Ft. was built in Islamabad Club.
Health & Medical Facilities: Provision of health care has been one of the main priorities of the Leaders of the United Arab Emirates .Every possible medical facility and high technical equipment were provided to hospitals in Lahore, Quetta, Kharan, Rahim Yar Khan, Larkana, Muzaffarabad, Rawlakot and others In Lahore, Sheikh Zayed hospital grew into a medical complex consisting of the University of Health Science (2002) Sheikh Zayed postgraduate Medical Institute, Sheikha Fatema Institute of Nursing, National Health Research Centre, National Institute of Kidney Disease, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology.
In 23 May 2009, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani inaugurated Sheikh Zayed bin Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College at the complex. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani unveiling the plaque at the inauguration of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College in Lahore on May 23, 2009 The UAE's Minister of State Reem Al Hashmi who participated in the ceremony said that the UAE and Pakistan enjoy close friendly relations adding that Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Sheikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute were manifestation of the deep rooted bilateral relations.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Two twin hospitals were built in Muzaffarabad and Rawlakot at a cost of $50 million. Both hospitals have a capacity of 250 beds each and equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. These two medical complexes consists of a double storey general hospital, a reinforced steel structure for earthquake zone-4 built on 120 thousand sq. ft. and provided with accommodation for doctors and paramedical staff and recreational facilities.
he Minister of Health of the United Arab Emirates H. E. Hanif Hassan Ali inaugurated H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital at Muzaffarabad in June 29 2009. The project was jointly designed, built and equipped by Department of Municipal Affairs, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, Morganti Group, Osmani and Company (Pvt) Ltd, and M/s. Al-Jawahir Technical Pakistani Contracting Company.
Education:
-- In educational sector the UAE gifted Islamabad with an international Academy called Zayed International Academy.
-- Sheikh Zayed International Academy, Islamabad.
The Academy was built in H-8 sector of the Capital, Islamabad .It provides high quality education to thousand of students.
Educational institutions can be seen in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Gazi khan, Bahawalpur, Turbat and Zehri. Several schools were built in Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, and at other locations in Punjab and Balochistan provinces. One of the recent addition is H. H. Sheikh Khalifa School in Bahawalpur consisting of 22 classrooms, a library an administrative block, 6 laboratories and teacher's training center. Two buildings for girls' hostel at the International Islamic University in Islamabad were funded by Al Maktoum Charitable Foundation.