.: Sheikh Khalifa City in Gaza :.

Project history

His Highness the President of the U.A.E Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, during his receptions of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen on 19 December 2004 and on 28 February 2006, confirmed the enthusiasm of the United Arab Emirates leadership, Government and People to support the Palestinian people in their quest for legitimate national rights. He especially emphasized their right to establish an independent state on their National land with Jerusalem as its capital. This support from the U.A.E. is not limited to political aspects but also includes many other fields of giving and charity acts and extends a helpful hand to the Palestinian People.

Following the initial meeting, on 24 July 2005 His Highness directed the construction of a complete housing city on the ruins of Morag colony, north of Rafah and south of Gaza strip, which was removed after withdrawal of the Israeli troops from Gaza strip. The project is to carry his name and was allocated $100.000.000 in finance. The humanitarian project is a gift from His Highness to our brothers, the Palestinian People, to reduce its sufferings and to provide suitable houses for them. In his speech on the occasion of 34th anniversary of the State National Day he said,

"We are concerned about the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and are looking forward to be a step towards more steps of a withdrawal from all Palestinian and Arab occupied land. This will enable the Palestinian people to build its independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital, within the framework of international legitimate principles and resolutions and international peace initiatives. Among these are the Road Map and Arab Peace Initiative, which are considered the real framework of justice and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian situation and for solving the conflict in the region of the Middle East. Our initiative to build a city in Rafah, on the ruins of one of the Israeli colonies, is considered a contribution from our side to reduce the sufferings of the struggling Palestinian People and which contributes to the effect of many previous projects which were set up by us on the Palestinian land.”

Such a gift which was re-confirmation of the contributions of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed to reduce the sufferings of the Palestinian people and his support for it’s justice and legitimate rights. It is an expression of the strong links of brotherhood which combine both the Emirate and Palestinian Peoples. It is also a re-confirmation of the wise way drawn by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who considered that justice is only achieved when the Palestinian People restore their legitimate rights in their country.

The wisdom of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed is obvious and is demonstrated by his selection of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed AL Nahyan to execute the project. H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed believed strongly that his brother is the best person for the task as he played an important role in the development of the Emirate and in building the modern city of Abu Dhabi. He consistently follows up and completes all such tasks.

As chief of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi Emirate His Highness considered its long experience in planning and building modern cities and its knowledge of the requirements of the Palestinian people and requested Abu Dhabi Municipality to execute the project. In turn, Abu Dhabi Municipality contacted the brothers in the Palestinian authority to complete the procedure to hand over the land to start the project.

After completing all arrangements to start the project Abu Dhabi Municipality received the project land which is about 1.3 million square meters. H.H. Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared the gift to the Palestinian people by placing the foundation stone with his brother, the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and declared that the name of the land would be changed from the ruins of Morag colony to the City of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. The visit of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed was marked by celebration by the Palestinian People. Everyone went out of their houses to receive him in Palestine and traces of Sheikh Zayed, the father, are visible everywhere in the Palestinian land, from Jenin, Jerusalem, Rafah, to Bit Lahiya.

Today here is a project that the next generations will be proud of and a project which will remind them of their great past; of the past of love and brotherhood. As our blessed prophet decreed, if one of us is in pain the rest of the people in all the country will also feel the pain. As we are Arabs and Muslims, if any one amongst us feels pain all the others will rally to help the sufferer.