Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

President of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 to 2004

Born: May 6, 1918 · Died: November 2, 2004

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Who was Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan?

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان, romanized: Zāyid bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, philanthropist, and the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. 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. Zayed replaced his older brother Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan as the ruler of Abu Dhabi on 6 August 1966 after Shakhbut was deposed through a bloodless coup by members of the ruling family with British support. His father was the ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 until his death in 1926. His eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, became ruler of Abu Dhabi after their uncle, Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Zayed next to his son Sheikh Khalifa in 1971

Historical significance

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. Zayed was the youngest of four sons of Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. Zayed was the youngest of his four brothers.

Sheikh Zayed salutes Tunisian crowd during his visit to Kairouan in the 1970s

Sources and further reading

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MLA

“Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/zayed-bin-sultan-al-nahyan/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

APA

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/zayed-bin-sultan-al-nahyan/

Chicago

“Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.” thisDay. Accessed November 9, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/zayed-bin-sultan-al-nahyan/.

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