A natural leader with a global perspective
Mohammad’s felicity at international fora was forged in humble yet diverse roles in UAE
The UAE on May 14 pledged allegiance to the new President, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the leader of the nation’s march, underlining a deep belief in his ability to continue to forge ahead with the nation’s illustrious path to ever greater progress and glory.
Shaikh Mohammad is a leader of the highest calibre who made a difference in various capacities in the UAE before achieving remarkable success in terms of furthering peace and security regionally and globally, while always promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence between religions and societies, and setting an example to be emulated for humanitarian work.
Shaikh Mohammad has always sought to uphold the noble human values enshrined in religion. An insightful vision and determination to strengthen the spirit of fraternity amongst all humanity enabled him to succeed in extending bridges of communication and peace with all leaders and peoples the world over, promoting a culture of tolerance while shielding the nation and the region against the menacing threats posed by those falsely donning the cloak of Islam while instigating extremism and terrorism around the world.
After the UAE named 2019 as the ‘Year of Tolerance’, Shaikh Mohammad received His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr Ahmad Al Tayeb, Shaikh Al Azhar Al Sharif, and the global meeting in the capital Abu Dhabi resulted in the signing of the Human Fraternity Document as a guide to promote a culture of mutual respect and dialogue for peaceful coexistence and fraternity for the human race.
Just as Shaikh Mohammad spared no effort to spread the values of tolerance, he has been dedicated to serving humanity at large, providing assistance to countries in need. He also directed the Emirates Red Crescent along with other charitable societies to provide a helping hand to peoples afflicted by wars or the effects of disasters and crises.
Shaikh Mohammad has always sought to uphold the noble human values enshrined in religion.
The UAE on May 14 pledged allegiance to the new President, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the leader of the nation’s march, underlining a deep belief in his ability to continue to forge ahead with the nation’s illustrious path to ever greater progress and glory.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a leader of the highest calibre who made a difference in various capacities in the UAE before achieving remarkable success in terms of furthering peace and security regionally and globally, while always promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence between religions and societies, and setting an example to be emulated for humanitarian work.
Born on March 11, 1961, Shaikh Mohammad is the third son of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, from whom he learned the importance of imparting good governance and leadership.
He was educated at schools in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi until the age of 18. In 1979, he joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he trained in armour, helicopter flying, tactical flying and paratroops. After graduating in April 1979, he returned home to the UAE to join the Officers’ Training Course in Sharjah. He has served in a number of capacities in the UAE military before becoming President, from that of an officer in the Amiri Guard (the UAE’s elite security force) and pilot in the UAE Air Force, to Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Guided by the directives of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed helped develop the UAE Armed Forces in terms of strategic planning, training, organisational structure and defence capabilities. Shaikh Mohammad’s direct guidance and leadership enabled the UAE Armed Forces to become a topnotch military organisation that is admired internationally.
Commitment to education
Among his many interests, Shaikh Mohammad is known for his unwavering commitment to enhance educational standards in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large and to ensure parity with the best international standards. Since Shaikh Mohammad took on the Chairmanship of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, he has worked tirelessly to forge partnerships with prestigious world-class educational institutions and think-tanks, a number of which have subsequently announced plans to either establish a base in UAE or join strategic joint ventures with existing academic establishments.
Shaikh Mohammad has been known, and for a long time, to be directly following up many initiatives that contributed to supporting and motivating the economic growth and diversity of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the construction boom achieved by the emirate especially in terms of providing housing for citizens besides health and recreational facilities among a host of other fields.
At the federal level, Shaikh Mohammad’s insightful vision and his wise leadership contributed to the rise of the modern UAE and the consolidation of its position as an ideal global destination in various contexts. The umbrella of security, stability, prosperity, sustainable development and social welfare established by Shaikh Mohammad is one of the most prominent achievements that reflect his quest to ensure social welfare and economic wellbeing for UAE citizens
Shaikh Mohammad believes that investing in education is the most valuable investment for delivering the future of a nation.
Therefore, he has always been determined to provide national educational institutions with the latest state-of-the-art technology and knowhow to keep pace with the rapid and multi-faceted changes taking place globally across all fronts.
Eye on the future
Shaikh Mohammad’s keynote speech during the World Government Summit in 2015 still resonates, constituting a historic milestone in the UAE, wherein he provided an insightful view of building an economy driven by knowledge and innovation. His words inspired belief in the future of the country, dispelling the fear of running out of oil and gas after 50 years and replacing it with a broader optimism about the future.
Despite his manifold political, legislative and economic responsibilities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general, environmental protection has received great care and attention from Shaikh Mohammad. He was instrumental in establishing the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, and has led significant conservation efforts to protect falcons and houbara bustards in the UAE and internationally.
Environmental lead
Shaikh Zayed issued directives to establish breeding and conservation programmes to protect the Arabian Oryx from extinction, whilst reintroducing the species back into natural habitats. Following that example, Shaikh Mohammad launched a similar programme in 2007, which is part of the Abu Dhabi government’s vision to create a regional herd that reflects the success of programmes for the resettlement of Arabian oryxes in their range countries.
In January 2008, Shaikh Mohammad announced that the Abu Dhabi Government would contribute $15 billion to Masdar, the global standard-setting alternative and renewable energy initiative based in Abu Dhabi and developer of the world’s first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city.
The leading role played by Shaikh Mohammad in strengthening the UAE’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic is undeniable and acclaimed worldwide. At the same time, he sent assistance to brotherly and fraternal nations during the pandemic.
Shaikh Mohammad’s initiatives to eradicate polio in several countries highlights the UAE’s campaign to combat the disease. Since 2011, he has donated $247.8 million (Dh911.4 million) to humanitarian and charity efforts aimed at providing vaccines and financing polio eradication campaigns far and wide. He launched the Reaching the Last Mile Fund to raise $100 million with the aim of eradicating, eliminating, and controlling preventable diseases that hinder health and economic prospects of the world’s poorest.
Shaikh Mohammad has also been at the forefront in trying to put an end to global conflicts, power struggles and disputes, and achieve reconciliation in a bid for world peace. He has stood for strengthening cooperation and solidarity with Arab nations. He has never hesitated to support regional stability and address regional security challenges in the form of terrorism and extremism.
Shaikh Mohammad’s keynote speech during the World Government Summit in 2015 inspired belief in the future of the country, dispelling the fear of running out of oil and gas and replacing it with a broader optimism.