Mohammed's iftar with national recruits

29-6-2016/ His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, on Tuesday evening had iftar meal with national service recruits at the national service school of the presidential guard, in Saih Hafeer area, at the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road.

He was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed exchanged views with the conscripts. They told him that the national service “is a feather in the cap of youth who learnt how best to serve the nation”. The recruits reiterated that the national service "is a token of gratitude and allegiance to the leadership that brings them up to be future leaders in a state whose pillars had been laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan."

The recruits said they learnt during the training period patience, self-reliance, harmony, to live under one roof, eat at the same table, socialize and exchange views about their future and the future of the nation, as well as the national duty and how best to serve their country and people.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed his satisfaction about the views of the youth that reflect high sense of duty and patriotism. He saluted them for enduring the training difficulties away from home, and hailed their perseverance and enthusiasm for the national duty.

"I recall the first days of the formation of our armed forces 44 years ago by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was then the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Now the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi is the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. We are all soldiers. I served in the Army," he said.