Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1966 to 2003

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Lived 1918–2004, aged 86

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54 languages
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Era
1918–2004
Aged 86

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People connected to Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

ChildKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

ChildMohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Built the UAE from scratch, steering seven emirates into a federation from 1971 until his 2004 death. Zayed transformed Abu Dhabi's oil wealth into regional influence and earned the "Father of the Nation" title for actually deserving it.

Biography

About

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was an Emirati politician, philanthropist, and the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he became the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and served as the first president of the United Arab Emirates from its independence on 2 December 1971 until his death in 2004. He is referred in the United Arab Emirates as the Father of the Nation for being the principal driving force behind the unification of the United Arab Emirates.

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