Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
| Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan | |
|---|---|
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1979
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| Native name | زايد بن سلطان بن زايد آل نهيان |
| Born | 6 May 1918 Abu Dhabi, Trucial States (now the UAE) |
| Died | 2 November 2004 (aged 86) Abu Dhabi, UAE |
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| President of the United Arab Emirates | |
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In office 2 December 1971 – 2 November 2004 |
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| Prime Minister |
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| Vice President |
Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (acting) |
| Emir of Abu Dhabi | |
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Reign 6 August 1966 – 2 November 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan |
| Succeeded by | Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| Supreme Commander of The Armed Forces | |
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In office 2 December 1971 – 2 November 2004 |
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| President | Himself |
| Preceded by | "Post established" |
| Succeeded by | Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| Personal details | |
| Religion | Islam |
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان ; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Emîr (أمير) (Ruler) of Abu Dhabi and first Ra’îs (رئيس) President of the United Arab Emirates, a post which he held for the lengthy period of almost 33 years (1971–2004).
The exact date of his birth is unknown, but officially on some documents, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born on 6 May 1918 in Abu Dhabi. He was the youngest son of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. His birth date is also reported to be 1916. His father was the ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 until his assassination in 1926. Zayed was the youngest of his four sons. His mother was Sheikha Salama bint Butti Al Hamed. She extracted a promise from her sons not to use violence against each other, a promise which they kept. Zayed was named after his grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ("Zayed the Great"), who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. At the time of Zayed's birth, the sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi was one of seven Trucial States along the lower coast of the Persian Gulf He also showed interest in Falconry.
He moved to Al Ain in 1927. As Zayed was growing up, there were no modern schools anywhere along the coast. He only received a basic instruction in the principles of Islam, and lived in the desert with Bedouin tribesmen, familiarising himself with the life of the people, their traditional skills and their ability to survive under the harsh climatic conditions.
His eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, became ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1928 after their uncle, Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was also assassinated.
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Wikipedia