Zayed University organized a cultural lecture on the history of the establishment of the UAE, presented by H.E Mirza Al Sayegh, Chairman of the Al Maktoum Institute Board, in Dubai Campus. The lecture was attended by staff, faculty and university students from the different colleges.

Vice President of Zayed University, Dr.Sulaiman AlJassim, expressed the importance of this lecture which addresses the establishment of our country and the efforts of great men who made the unity of the UAE an example for other countries around the world. This is a result of good leadership, particularly the two great leaders and founders of the UAE Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and the cooperation of their Highnesses the rulers of the emirates who joined together to form a refined country among world countries. The Vice President thanked H.E. Mirza Al Sayegh and emphasized the value of this lecture.

H.E. Al Sayegh expressed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Industry, to Zayed University students and his appreciation of the efforts made by students in the training sessions held at Al Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Scotland last January. He admired the keenness of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research, President of Zayed University, in supporting initiatives to develop students' understanding and refine their personalities through participating in seminars, international conferences and scholarships.

In his lecture, H.E. Al Sayegh commended the successes of great leaders from around the world who were an influence to the population, such as Nelson Mandela, Julius Nereri and Lumumba in Africa, Mahatma Gandhi  in Asia, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King in USA, Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles De Gaulle in France, Mohammed Ali, Saad Zaghloul and Gamal Abdul Nasser in Egypt, and many more.

H.E. Al Sayegh added that the discussions and the planning of uniting the emirates started in February 1968. The idea emerged and turned into reality in 1971, becoming a successful experience in the Arab World, especially after the failed attempt to unite Egypt and Syria in 1961 and between Egypt, Syria and Iraq in 1963. He also reviewed the efforts of the men who contributed to the preparation and organization of the foundation of the structure of the ministries, the parliament, the embassies and other key structures in the country which, in a short period of time, became a model for growth and prosperity at all levels. This established the values of national identity and belongingness in our children.