"His Highness the President of the United Arab Emirates referred to talk of “destroying the colonies” and took the decisive historical step of turning words into action, by declaring to the world and to the Palestinian people, his decision to build a housing city on the ruins of destruction that remained after the occupation. This act exemplified his wise vision that the reply to the destruction in Palestine should be practical and realistic."

This excerpt, from the speech given by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed city in Gaza, confirmed the commitment of Sheikh Khalifa to reduce the suffering of the Palestinian people and to reinforce the strong links between the two peoples.

H. H. requested his brother H.H. Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan , Abu Dhabi' Crown Prince and Chief of the Executive Council , to undertake the task from its inception to completion and to make sure that  this gift benefited every needy Palestinian in the land. In his capacity as Chief of the Executive Council, His Highness took all necessary steps to select the best means to carry out the task. In doing so and, considering their experience in this field, he requested the Abu Dhabi Municipality to follow up and execute the project.