Mohamed bin Zayed following in the footsteps of the Arab sage… Succeeded in consolidating the modern Renaissance of the UAE and maintaining its position as an ideal global destination in various fields
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Arab ruler, was elected President of the United Arab Emirates on May 14 and will complete next Sunday the first year of his presidency. His vision and wise leadership contributed to the renaissance of the modern Emirates and the establishment of its position as an ideal global destination at various levels. The umbrella of security, stability, prosperity, sustainable development, and social welfare, which Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed established, is one of his most outstanding accomplishments that serve the homeland and citizens and reflects his work and continuous endeavor to raise the status of the Emirates and its residents.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s remarkable achievements in promoting peace and security in the region and the world, promoting tolerance and peaceful co-existence among religions and societies, and his pioneering role in humanitarian and charitable work worldwide.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the third son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the United Arab Emirates, was raised by his father Zayed Al Khair, who was a young man and had been involved in the affairs of government and leadership. He grew up under the patronage of his father and mother, His Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak.
At the age of 18, His Highness completed his academic years between the cities of Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi, where he graduated from the State and United Kingdom schools.
He graduated in 1979 from the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, where he trained in the Armor Corps, Vertical Aviation, Tactical Aviation, and Parachute Corps, and then joined the officers’ training course in the Emirate of Sharjah.
He held several positions in the armed forces, from officer in the U.A.E. Elite Guard-U.A.E., to pilot in the Air Force, and graduated to several senior positions until he became deputy supreme commander of the armed forces in 2005.
He also held several political, legislative, and economic positions in the state, where His Highness assumed the mandate of the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in November 2004, and became Chairman of the Executive Council in December 2004, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces in January 2005. He also headed the following institutions: Abu Dhabi Education Council in September 2005, Mubadala Development Company in 2002, and the Office of the Economic Balance Program of the United Arab Emirates in 1992.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is known for his passion for hunting and hunting with hawks, which he inherited from his late father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
He is also very interested in poetry, especially Nabati poetry, and he is always keen to provide support for poetry contests and other cultural events through his sponsorship and the personal presence of many of them. In addition, His Highness has always been keen to affirm his commitment to cultural activities and the community’s innovative initiatives in the artistic and literary fields.
He is also interested in several sports and meets with Emirati athletes to hear their opinions or to be honored, especially when it comes to winning advanced places in international competitions.
His contributions to the military
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan contributed to the development of the UAE Armed Forces in terms of strategic planning, training, organizational structure, and strengthening of the state’s defense capabilities. His direct and command directives inspired the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to make the UAE Armed Forces a leading institution that is recognized by a large number of international military institutions.
Education and scientific research
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan believes that investment in the education of his fellow citizens is the most precious investment, and in this spirit, His Highness is keen on the excellence of national educational institutions by providing the latest means of education and scientific research to support the nation’s march towards the best educational outcomes accompanying global cultural development.
Previously, as head of the Department of Education and Knowledge, His Highness worked on activating the participation of students and parents in the assessment processes and liaising with international educational institutions to exchange innovative initiatives aimed at developing the Emirate’s educational sector.
Sheikh Mohamed’s speech at the 2015 World Summit of Governments is still a watershed moment in the UAE as he charts a new landscape for the country’s knowledge-based, innovative economy and investment in people as its true and endless wealth. That speech set in motion confidence in the future of the nation, and turned fears of oil and gas depletion after 50 years into a broader optimism about the future.
Supporting economic growth
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed has been instrumental in the development of Abu Dhabi for more than three decades and has witnessed rapid economic and social transformation. and the construction boom that the emirate has achieved at the level of citizens’ housing, service, health, recreational facilities, and other fields.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is chairman of the Council for Economic Balance, also known as the Offset Movement. The Tamazen (Balance) Bank is implementing investments by establishing feasible projects in various sectors that will help diversify the UAE economy.
Mubadala Development Company was established in 2002 as one of the main investment arms of the Abu Dhabi government and seeks to achieve sustainable social and economic benefits for the emirate.
Environmental conservation
Environmental issues are one of the top priorities of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the official and personal levels. His Highness has spearheaded efforts to protect falcons, squid birds, and oryx antelopes inside and outside the United Arab Emirates. He has also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Environment Authority and announced in January 2008 the granting of $15 billion to the government of Abu Dhabi in favor of the Masdar initiative, a world leader in the field of alternative and renewable energy, and the first development of this integrated city, completely free of waste and carbon emissions. In recognition of the challenges facing conservation efforts, His Highness established a specialized fund to provide support to any initiatives related to the preservation of living organisms, whether individual initiatives dealing with a specific issue or coordinated initiatives on several tracks. It also shows its efforts to preserve the ancient art and heritage of falconry and to pass it on to present generations using a systematic and well-studied methodology that takes into account wildlife and the preservation of the environment.
His achievements in promoting human fraternity
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has always sought to revive the religion’s noble human values and foster a spirit of brotherhood among human beings. His Highness, through his penetrating vision, succeeded in building bridges of communication and peace with all the world’s leaders and peoples, spreading a culture of tolerance, defusing several crises, and confronting the ideas of extremism and radicalism.
Since the establishment of the UAE “Year of Tolerance” in 2019, His Highness has topped the scene with his positions and statements, most notably his welcoming of two of the most important religious leaders in the world, namely His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheik of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif; to be a sign of strengthening the culture of mutual respect and activating dialog on coexistence and brotherhood among humans.
It also launched the Zayed Global Fund for Coexistence in support of efforts to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence and human fraternity among the peoples of the world.
His humanitarian efforts
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed’s devotion to assisting brotherly and friendly countries, whether through the conclusion of the agreements whose declaration carries the meaning of coexistence and cooperation, or through the contribution of the UAE government and guidance from the Emirates Red Crescent Society and other charitable organizations, provides a helping hand to peoples afflicted by wars or the effects of disasters and crises.
He also played a role in strengthening the UAE and the world’s response to the coronavirus crisis and its repercussions, as his efforts contributed to the UAE being one of the first countries to succeed in overcoming this pandemic and moving to a stage of full recovery, while his direct directives emerged to extend a helping hand and send various types of material and in-kind assistance to brothers and friends during the pandemic.
Since 2011, it has contributed US$ 247.8 million (AED 911.4 million) to humanitarian and charitable efforts to provide vaccines and fund polio eradication campaigns, particularly in targeted countries.
The Reaching the Last Mile Fund was launched to raise US$100 million to eliminate and control preventable diseases that hamper the health and economic prospects of the world’s poorest people.
Promote Regional and International Stability
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s rally is filled with historic events that serve to strengthen cooperation and solidarity with brotherly Arab countries, support regional stability, and confront all challenges that threaten the region’s security, foremost among them terrorism and extremist ideology. Internationally, it has been the constant initiative to stop conflicts between States, to seek reconciliation in search of world peace, to stop the bloodshed, and to preserve human dignity.
Mohamed bin Zayed Council established for future generations
The Mohamed bin Zayed Council for the Future aims to connect young people with their leaders through innovative educational experiences that help the next generation of leaders to connect with leading intellectual figures who support them in refining their skills and acquiring expertise that will enable them to develop professionally.
The council aims to develop the capabilities of young people to prepare them for the future, where future leaders of the UAE will have opportunities and challenges in a rapidly evolving world based on ideas and technology. The Council establishes value-based leadership and lifelong learning.
Prizes and Decorations
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed received many medals and decorations from the UAE and other countries including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, South Korea, and Malaysia, as well as from the UN.
