Sheikh Mohammed approves logo for UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’

The official logo for the UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’ – which is being observed in 2019 – has been designed to resemble the Ghaf, the UAE’s national tree it was announced on Thursday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai approved the design.

The logo is set to be used by government, private and media entities in all campaigns, initiatives and programmes launched during 2019, a statement said.

.@HHShkMohd, approves the official logo for the ‘#Year_of_Tolerance‘https://t.co/Hpzed8duVw pic.twitter.com/pjM8GIUMiO

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 7, 2019

Taking to Twitter, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Tolerance is a universal value, and Ghaf is our authentic national tree, a source of life and symbol of stability in the middle of the desert, under its shadows our ancestors gathered to consult on matters related to their daily lives. In the ‘Year of Tolerance’, we chose the Ghaf as a logo for all of us to live by the principles of tolerance, coexistence and diversity.”

In a statement, the supreme national committee of the Year of Tolerance added that the Ghaf was chosen as a major component of the logo since it “represents a great cultural value in the UAE and is associated with the identity and heritage of the country”.

“Our ancestors and tribes gathered under the shadows of the Ghaf trees to discuss their daily matters. Also, a number of UAE rulers used to meet their citizens and listen to their demands directly under the shadows of these trees,” the committee said.

The UAE has issued laws and regulations prohibiting the cutting of the tree throughout the country.

“The Ghaf tree symbolises stability and peace in the desert and has the ability to adapt in the desert,” the committee said.

“It is planted in many countries around the world, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Americas, but under different names. For us, this year, we aim to establish it as a global logo for tolerance,” it added.

The committee said several initiatives around tolerance have been planned for the year.

It is also working to establish policies and legislations that “guarantee the sustainability of tolerance as a community value and a platform for good work in the UAE”.

Read: UAE sets up committee for tolerance

The ‘Year of Tolerance’ will be an extension of the current ‘Year of Zayed’, which celebrates the values of the country’s founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.

It will seek to highlight the UAE’s role as a global capital for tolerance through “various legislative and policy-oriented goals” designed to instil the values of co-existence and peace.

It revolves around seven pillars including tolerance in the community, education, workplace, culture, legislation, media and the UAE model of tolerance.

Read: Pope to receive book about tolerance by Abu Dhabi reverend