Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is pictured in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed al Maktoum, the father of modern Dubai.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1971
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is accompanied by his son, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, touring an exhibition by the Knowledge Department of student exhibits from Jaber bin Hayyan School in Abu Dhabi.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1971
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed al Maktoum in Abu Dhabi on September 3, 1971, months before the foundation of the United Arab Emirates.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1971
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sir Geoffrey Arthur met in the presence of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ahmed Bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi and Mohammed Al Habroush to sign documents that terminated the treaty between Great Britain and Abu Dhabi on December 1, 1971.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1972
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan inaugurated the meeting of the National Council of the United Arab Emirates in the presence of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi on July 20, 1972.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1980
Liwa, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on a visit to the Holy Quran Memorization Center in Liwa on July 10, 1980.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1980
AZ Zaytoun Al Qebleyah, Zeitoun, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan greets Emirati university students in Koubbeh Palace in the Arab Republic of Egypt on March 16, 1988.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1980
Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan during a visit to the Northern Emirates.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1980
shabeyah maqam Rd, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan talking to the university students at Al Makkam Palace.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1984
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan receives representatives from Vatican on March 28, 1984.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1987
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan at an exhibition by the physically challenged children on April 12, 1987.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1988
United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan inspects the progress of work at Shawaih bridge on February 23, 1988.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1989
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan visiting the western area of Abu Dhabi on July 11, 1989.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1989
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the graduation ceremony of the Naval Academy on March 28, 1989.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
1990
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi with fellow rulers of the Emirates and Sheikhs, among United Arab Emirates national volunteers in the Armed Forces.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Kairouan, Tunisia
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan salutes Tunisian crowd during his visit to Kairouan City in the mid-1970s.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan greeting residents during an Eid Al Adha celebration.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with an Emirati boy during a public appearance.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan receiving King of Morocco.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Rafik Hariri and other dignitaries watching a camel festival.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Prince Charles.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid.
Gallery of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Order of the White Rose of Finland
The Order of the White Rose of Finland that Sheikh Zayed received in 1990.
Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Order of Isabella the Catholic that Sheikh Zayed was awarded.
Order of Good Hope
The Order of Good Hope that Sheikh Zayed was awarded.
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania that Sheikh Zayed received in 2002.
Order of the Chrysanthemum
The Order of the Chrysanthemum that Sheikh Zayed received in 2005.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with his sons: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is accompanied by his son, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, touring an exhibition by the Knowledge Department of student exhibits from Jaber bin Hayyan School in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed al Maktoum in Abu Dhabi on September 3, 1971, months before the foundation of the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sir Geoffrey Arthur met in the presence of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ahmed Bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi and Mohammed Al Habroush to sign documents that terminated the treaty between Great Britain and Abu Dhabi on December 1, 1971.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan inaugurated the meeting of the National Council of the United Arab Emirates in the presence of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi on July 20, 1972.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is pictured with sons Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi with fellow rulers of the Emirates and Sheikhs, among United Arab Emirates national volunteers in the Armed Forces.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the first President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Background
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born on May 6, 1918, in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. However, some sources claimed, that he was born at the Qasr al-Hosn in Abu Dhabi. He was the youngest son of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Sheikha Salama bint Butti. Sheikh Zayed was named after his grandfather Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who ruled the Emirate from 1855 to 1909.
Education
As a child, Sheikh Zayed received his education from the local traditional teacher (the Mutawwaa), which included memorizing the Quran and learning the fundamentals of Islam. As Sheikh Zayed grew into a young man, he travelled extensively throughout the country, gaining a deep understanding of the land and its people.
Through the late 1920s and 1930s, Sheikh Zayed's thirst for knowledge took him into the desert, living alongside Bedouin tribesmen, to learn all he could about their way of life and connection with their surroundings.
Career
In 1946, Sheikh Zayed was chosen as Ruler's Representative in Abu Dhabi's Eastern Region, centered on Al Ain, 160 kilometers inland east of Abu Dhabi. In August 1966, Sheikh Zayed became Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with a mandate to develop the Emirate as quickly as possible. His years in Al Ain had given him valuable experience in government and time to develop a vision of progress. In 1968, with the British announcement of the country's withdrawal from the Arabian Gulf, Sheikh Zayed stepped to action to quickly establish closer ties with the Emirates. Together with the late Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Zayed called for a Federation that would include not only the seven Emirates that made up the Trucial States, but also Qatar and Bahrain.
Eventually seven states followed Sheikh Zayed in establishing the United Arab Emirates, which formally emerged on the international stage on December 2, 1971. Sheikh Zayed was elected to serve as the first President of the United Arab Emirates, the post to which he was successively re-elected at five-year intervals. In 1970, recognizing that Abu Dhabi was embarking on a process of rapid development, Sheikh Zayed formalized the consultation process and established the National Consultative Council, bringing together the leaders of each of the main tribes. A similar body was created in 1971 for the entire United Arab Emirates: the Federal National Council, the state's parliament. Sheikh Zayed died in 2004, in his late eighties, leaving behind a legacy as the Father of the Nation.
Sheikh Zayed was notably a firm opponent of harsh dogmas and intolerance. In an interview in 2002, he said that Muslims stand against any person of Muslim faith who will try to commit any terror act against a fellow human being. He also stated that a terrorist is an enemy of Islam and of humanity, while the true Muslim is friendly to all human beings and a brother to other Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This is because Islam is a religion of mercy and tolerance.
Politics
As Ruler's Representative in Abu Dhabi's Eastern Region Sheikh Zayed established a basic administration system, personally funded the first modern school in the Emirate and encouraged relatives and friends to contribute towards small-scale development. He revised local water ownership rights to ensure a more equitable distribution, which led to agricultural development and re-establishment of the oasis as the predominant market center. When Sheikh Zayed became President of the United Arab Emirates he drew from Arabian Bedouin traditions of consensus and consultation. In 1970, recognizing that Abu Dhabi was embarking on a process of rapid development, Sheikh Zayed formalized the consultation process and established the National Consultative Council, bringing together the leaders of each of the main tribes.
As the country grew, the conservation of natural environment and wildlife was critical to Sheikh Zayed. He believed that the character of the Emirati people derives, in part, from the struggle to survive in the harsh and arid local environment. In this vein, Sheikh Zayed worked throughout his life on ensuring the preservation of such species as the Arabian Oryx and the sand gazelle. The World Wildlife Fund recognized his great contribution with the prestigious Gold Panda award.
One of Sheikh Zayed's first wide-scale initiatives for the United Arab Emirates was the provision of education to all citizens. This resulted in schools and learning centers being built all over the country and the recruitment of teachers from other Arab countries to provide education to the younger generations. Sheikh Zayed's efforts in this culminated in the creation of a variety of accredited institutions such as United Arab Emirates University, the Higher Colleges of Technology and Zayed University. Police academies were established and the United Arab Emirates became home to an increasing number of local and international private universities and colleges.
The development of the country's infrastructure was another pressing issue for Sheikh Zayed. From the very start of his rule, road construction, telephone lines and the establishment of national media were recognized as vital to connect the seven emirates with one another. The new roads, international airports and sea ports quickly enabled the United Arab Emirates to play a role in the modern industrial world and to swiftly take its place among the world's most highly-developed industrial nations.
Sheikh Zayed applied his tolerance ideals broadly. Within the Arabian Gulf region, and in the wider Arab world, the United Arab Emirates has traditionally sought to enhance cooperation and resolve disagreements through a calm pursuit of dialogue and agreement. In the 1990s Sheikh Zayed recognized that the United Arab Emirates could play a more active role in international peacekeeping operations. The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces participated in the Arab Deterrent Force that sought to bring to an end the civil strife in Lebanon, and in UNISOM TWO, the United Nations peacekeeping and reconstruction force in Somalia. In early 1999, Sheikh Zayed was among the first world leaders to express support for the decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to launch its aerial campaign to force Serbia to halt its genocidal activities against the people of Kosovo.
Views
Quotations:
"We cherish our environment because it is an integral part of our country, our history and our heritage. On land and in the sea, our forefathers lived and survived in this environment. They were able to do so only because they recognised the need to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live, and to preserve it for succeeding generations."
"The woman is half of the society; any country which pursues development should not leave her in poverty or illiteracy."
"Wealth is not in money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power we value. This is what has convinced us to direct all our resources to build the individual, and to use the wealth which God has provided us in the service of the nation."
"A nation without a past is a nation without a present or a future. Thanks to God, our nation has a flourishing civilization, deep-rooted in this land for many centuries. These roots will always flourish and bloom in the glorious present of our nation in its anticipated future."
"The success of the greater Arab nation in making itself known to the world and in supporting our solidarity does not depend on the Arab nation alone. Our solidarity also requires that the entire Islamic community works for the good of the Arab nation as the Arab nation works for the good of the Islamic community."
"It is my duty as the leader of the young people of this country to encourage them to work and to exert themselves in order to raise their own standards and to be of service to the country. The individual who is healthy and of a sound mind and body but who does not work commits a crime against himself and society."
Personality
Sheikh Zayed was known for his patience, forward-looking vision and wisdom, earning the moniker "the wise man of the Arabs." He was a man who understood that in order to build harmony, cohesion and solidarity among his people, he first needed to build their trust via constructive and personal interaction. He enjoyed getting out and meeting the local community, and was considered as a man of the people.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had a strong passion for falconry, riding Arabian thoroughbred camels and horses and archery.
Interests
falconry, riding
Connections
Sheikh Zayed had seven wives and many children (19 sons and 14 daughters). His eldest son Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Emir of Abu Dhabi and the Supreme Commander of the Union Defence Force.