T he World Humanitarian Day (marked on Friday) holds a special significance for the UAE. The country, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has remained in the forefront of supporters of humanitarian initiatives and has justifiably been recognised as a humanitarian capital, being the world’s largest donor of development assistance in proportion to its gross national income. As Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum observed on his Twitter account, the humanitarian work is a common language of mercy among human beings, a language that does not see race, religion or identity and this is what characterises a human being and makes any people a civilised one. The country with a generous heart has provided humanitarian assistance totalling Dhs6.97 billionto help save lives, alleviate suffering, maintain and protect human dignity during and after emergencies, including long-term assistance to refugees and displaced persons. The UAE has over 20 humanitarian foundations, non-governmental organisations, charity establishments, government entities and private companies providing humanitarian assistance for those in need across the world. All humanitarian workers from UAE organisations deserve praise for their hard work, sacrifices and selfless dedication to serving the world’s most vulnerable people. It should not be forgotten that they give their best under challenging circumstances for the benefit of humanity. Interestingly, in earlyDecember, the International Humanitarian City (IHC) will organise the first bi-annual World Humanitarian Forum in Dubai to coincide with the Ten Humanitarian International Leaders meeting, which aims to bring together the humanitarian community to share experiences, build relationships and discuss emerging challenges and solutions. It should be noted that the IHC has made the UAE a vital hub for logistics in emergency response, with 60 members comprising United Nations agencies, NGOs, donors and private companies. There can be no doubt that the current humanitarian conditions throughout the world call for collective international action to address them. The UAE has played its part commendably well in this regard. To this day, the generous legacy of the founding father of the nation, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has been kept alive, touching the hearts of people in almost every country. What can be more gratifying than serving the world’s most vulnerable people? The UAE’s glory evidently stems from the fact that the more it grows prosperous, the more it turns compassionate.