Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان, romanized: Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he succeeded Sheikh Shakhbut as the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and then as the first president of the United Arab Emirates while he retained his position as Abu Dhabi's ruler from 1971 until his death in 2004. He is revered in the United Arab Emirates as the Waalid al-Ummah ("Father of the Nation"), credited for being the principal driving force behind uniting seven emirates.
| Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sheikh Zayed with King Faisal, 1974 | |||||
| 1st President of the United Arab Emirates | |||||
| In office 2 December 1971 – 2 November 2004 | |||||
| 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 | Post established | ||||
| Succeeded by | Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan | ||||
| Emir of Abu Dhabi | |||||
| Reign | 6 August 1966 – 2 November 2004 | ||||
| Predecessor | Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan | ||||
| Successor | Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan | ||||
| Born | 6 May 1918 Abu Dhabi, Trucial States | ||||
| Died | 2 November 2004 (aged 86) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouses |
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| Issue | see list | ||||
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| House | Al Nahyan | ||||
| Father | Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan | ||||
| Mother | Salama bint Butti Al Qubaisi | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
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.