A leader who dared to dream the impossible

S haikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born in Abu Dhabi in 1918, the fourth son of Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. He was the grandson of Shaikh Zayed Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who ruled Abu Dhabi from 1855 to 1909, in one of the longest reigns in the emirate’s history. Shaikh Sultan was the Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 to 1926.

In 1946, Shaikh Zayed was appointed the Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain. On August 6, 1966, he became the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and set about building institutions such as labour, health, electricity, water and public works. In 1968, Great Britain announced that it would withdraw from the Gulf and in 1971, the United Arab Emirates was formed with Shaikh Zayed elected the country’s President.

Over the course of 33 years as President of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed provided a leadership with vision and foresight that has ensured the prosperity and well-being of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

One of the world’s longest serving presidents, Shaikh Zayed dared to dream the impossible. What it took him to make the dream a reality were his time-tested qualities of self-belief, patience, perseverance, flexibility and a sense of mission. And his legacy will remain for generations to come.

Shaikh Zayed passed away on November 2, 2004.

Zayed the visionary

For 33 splendid years of his presidency, the country witnessed tremendous changes from the pre-oil days to the new riches that laid the foundation of a modern country based along the lines of some of the most advanced countries of the world.

Zayed the Father of the Nation

When the British announced their withdrawal plans from the Gulf in 1968, Shaikh Zayed called for the formation of a union of different emirates. To the surprise of sceptics, the UAE federation went on to become one of the prime examples of unity and brotherhood that has stood the test of time.

To Shaikh Zayed’s eternal credit, the UAE became a respected voice on the world stage even though it was still a very young nation.

Zayed the educator

Shaikh Zayed saw education as a lantern that lights up a person’s way in a dark alley. It is not surprising then that education was one of the top priorities on his agenda. In 1972, a federal law made education free and compulsory up to the primary level. Free education was offered to everyone, including the children of Arab expatriates.

Under Shaikh Zayed’s instructions and out of his strong belief in the importance of having a literate population, adult education was offered to every citizen who had missed out on the opportunity in childhood.

As a result of this systematic strategy, the overall illiteracy rate dropped tremendously over the years.

Zayed the environmentalist

Thanks to Shaikh Zayed’s untiring efforts, a considerable part of the desert has been made productive. Later, with the discovery of oil, the country adopted an aggressive plan for the greening of the land.

Zayed’s religion of love

Shaikh Zayed was a strong supporter of charitable causes from his early days. Even before the discovery of oil, when resources were limited, he made it a point to assist those in need. He believed in the Islamic principle of helping fellow humans in need, a virtue, which he practised throughout his life.