Who is Mohamed bin Zayed - UAE President: Biography, Early Life, Education, Politician Career, Net Worth

Who is Mohamed bin Zayed, The UAE’s New President Biography

United Arab Emirates strongman Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), who was formally elected president on Saturday, has led a realignment of the Middle East that created a new anti-Iran axis with Israel and fought a rising tide of political Islam in the region.

Working behind the scenes for years as de facto leader, Sheikh Mohammed, 61, transformed the UAE military into a high-tech force, which coupled with its oil wealth and business hub status, extended Emirati influence internationally.

Mohamed bin Zayed Biography and Early Life

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: محمد بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; born 11 March 1961), colloquially known by his initials as MBZ, is the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi. He is seen as the driving force behind the UAE's interventionist foreign policy and is a leader of a campaign against Islamist movements in the Arab world.In January 2014, when his half-brother Khalifa, the president of the UAE and Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, suffered a stroke, Mohamed became the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi, controlling almost every aspect of UAE policymaking. He was entrusted with most day-to-day decision-making of the emirate of Abu Dhabi as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.

. He is the third son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding President of the UAE. He grew up under the watchful eye of his father and his mother, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.

His Highness' full name is Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout bin Theyab bin Issa bin Nahyan bin Falah bin Yas.​

Mohamed bin Zayed Family

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (MBZ), is the son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 'Father of the Nation' and the first President of the UAE, and the brother of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Sheikh Mohamed is married to Her Highness Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, and has four sons and five daughters:

Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikha Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikha Shamma bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikha Hassa bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Mohamed bin Zayed Education

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was educated at schools in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi until the age of 18. In 1979, he joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he trained in armour, helicopter flying, tactical flying and paratroops. After graduating in April 1979, he returned home to the UAE to join the Officers' Training Course in Sharjah, another Emirate of the UAE. He has held a number of roles in the UAE military, from that of Officer in the Amiri Guard (the UAE's elite security force) and Pilot in the UAE Air Force, to his current role as Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Guided by the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed helped develop the UAE Armed Forces in terms of strategic planning, training, organizational structure and promoting defense capabilities. Sheikh Mohamed’s direct guidance and leadership, led the UAE Armed Forces to become a leading institution that is widely admired by many international military organisations.

Sheikh Mohamed also holds a number of political and economic roles at an Emirate level and a wider Federal level in the UAE.

Among his many interests, His Highness is known for his unwavering commitment to enhancing educational standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and raising them to be on par with the best international standards. Since Sheikh Mohamed took on the Chairmanship of the Abu Dhabi Education Council he has worked tirelessly to forge partnerships with prestigious world-class educational institutions and think tanks, a number of which have subsequently announced plans to either establish a base in or join strategic joint ventures with existing academic establishments, under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, the President of UAE and the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.​

Mohammed bin Zayed Wife and Children

According to our records, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan married to Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan. As of December 2021, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s is not dating anyone.

The Zayed Charity Marathon, which takes place in New York City, has raised millions of dollars since its inauguration in 2005. The race raises awareness about kidney disease, and the proceeds go to the US’s National Kidney Foundation. Al Nahyan launched the event in honor of his father, who received a kidney transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2000.

Mohamed bin Zayed's Career

Photo: trtworld

Working in the Military Field

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed graduated from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1979. His training included a fundamental armor course and a fundamental flying course, helicopters, and tactical plans, as well as a parachutist course. His Highness has experience in flying the Gazelle helicopter armor and fleet, fly school, and air college.

Before His Highness became Armed Forced Chief of Staff in 1993, he was assigned to two positions, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense and Deputy Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff, he was capped as General a year after his graduation. After the passing of the late Sheikh Zayed (may he rest in peace) in 2004, and the election of his elder brother, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nahyan as President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed was assigned as Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in 2005, and was promoted to LT General.

Government Positions and Decorations

In addition to His highness's military responsibilities, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was the key advisor for his late father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan –may he rest in peace- regarding security issues. He was also Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in November 2003. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed became Vice President of the Executive Council, and later its Chairman in November 2004.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is an active member of the Supreme Petroleum Council, which covers oil and energy sectors. His Highness received a lot of decorations and medals from the United Arab Emirates and other countries such as the Kingdom of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, USA, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, South Korea, Malaysia as well as the UN.

Crown prince of Abu Dhabi

In 2004, when Mohamed’s brother Khalifa became emir after the death of their father, Mohamed became crown prince of Abu Dhabi emirate. That same year he was also appointed chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, which manages the emirate’s day-to-day affairs. In the years that followed, he became one of the emirate’s most visible figures in diversifying its economy and developing its educational institutions. After Khalifa suffered a stroke in 2014, Mohamed apparently took on most of the emir’s duties, including his duties as supreme commander of the Emirati armed forces.

As his command over the military grew, observers largely credited Mohamed for the federation’s shift toward a more active approach to regional affairs in the 2010s. Amid the popular uprisings known as the Arab Spring (2010–11), the United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in deploying forces to Bahrain in 2011 to help suppress protests there. In 2014 it took part in the U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; also called ISIS). In a more defiant stance, it conducted limited airstrikes in Libya beginning in 2014 and aided Khalifah Haftar in his armed rebellion against Libya’s internationally-backed government. In 2015 the United Arab Emirates engaged in its greatest military commitment yet, joining a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen against Houthi rebels. However, in 2019 it broke with Saudi Arabia when its forces began a unilateral disengagement from the war in Yemen but continued to aid a separatist faction that now opposed the Saudi-backed government in Aden.

Mohamed was a driving force in many of his relationships abroad. While the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were coordinating security and trade policy for much of the 2010s, he served as a mentor to Mohammed bin Salman, whose father, Salman bin Abdulaziz, became king of Saudi Arabia in 2015. In 2020 Mohamed was key to the achievement of an agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations between the two countries, which made the federation the first in a string of Arab states to formally thaw relations with Israel that year. Mohamed’s investment and philanthropy abroad also earned him sway and recognition.

After the death of Khalifa in May 2022, Mohamed was elected president by the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates.

Elected UAE's new president

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been elected as the new president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a day after the death of former leader Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.

Mohamed bin Zayed was elected by the Federal Supreme Council, becoming the ruler of the oil-rich country founded by his father in 1971, the state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

Often known as 'MBZ', Mohamed bin Zayed met members of the Federal Supreme Council, made up of rulers of the UAE's seven emirates, as the country enters a period of mourning for his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.

WAM described the vote as unanimous among the rulers of the country's sheikhdoms, which also includes the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai.

“We congratulate him, and we pledge allegiance to him, and our people pledge allegiance to him," Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said on Twitter after the vote.

“The whole country is led by him to take it on the paths of glory and honor, God willing.”

Mohamed bin Zayed's Interests and Activities

Photo: thenationalnews

Economic Development

Economic diversity is considered one of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed's key issues, in efforts to achieve a comprehensive uprise of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. His Highness holds Chairman of the UAE Offset Program Bureau (Offset) which works on executing investments by establishing projects of feasibility within the different sectors, which help with the UAE's economic diversification. To help create this diversification, Mubadala Development Company was established in 2002 to become one of Abu Dhabi Government's main investment entities, and aspire to achieve sustainable social and economic benefits for the emirate.

Research and Education

Education has always been a priority of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, whether it's public or private from elementary to secondary school and higher education. His Highness is the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, which was established in 2005. Since its establishment, the Abu Dhabi Education Council oversees and develops the education sector within the emirate by conducting studies and activating the role of students and parents in the assessment processes, and communicating with high international educational institutions to exchange innovative initiatives that aim to develop the education sector. His Highness also chairs the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, which oversees the publishing of critical academic studies and analyses related to key issues relevant to both, the UAE and the region.

Environment Protection

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is known for his passion for protecting wild falcons and bustards, as well as the Arabia Oryx, enriching the UAE's and the world's wildlife, which reflects throughout the establishment and heading of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, his honorary presidency of Abu Dhabi Environment Authority. His Highness's passion for raising falcons drove him to focus on protecting them, besides other endangered species in addition to plants. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is also known for his great interest in the animals of the Arabian Peninsula, especially the Arabian Oryx and bustards. His Highnesses efforts to preserve nature lead to adoption of alternative energy projects, particularly Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, which is an initiative to establish a carbon-emission-free city, which will enable Abu Dhabi to lead international research within energy development and sustainable techniques fields.

Mohamed bin Zayed's Awards and Honors

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has received numerous citations and decorations from the UAE and many other countries including Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Malaysia, Pakistan, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, South Korea, Montenegro and Kosovo, as well as the United Nations.

These include :

• Monarch Medal for Officers, awarded by HRH the late King Hassan II of Morocco, June 1986.
• Order of Merit, awarded by General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of US troops and Coalition Forces, in appreciation of his Highness' role in the Kuwait Liberation War, April 1991.
• Medal of Outstanding Service, awarded by Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, May 1992.
• Military Order of Merit of Outstanding Class, awarded by HRH the late King Hassan II of Morocco, April 1994.
• Kuwait Liberation Medal of Excellent Class, awarded by Ibrahim Abdulla Al Mansour, Kuwait's Ambassador to the UAE, in appreciation of his role and efforts in the Kuwait Liberation War, September 1994.
• Kuwait Medal of Excellent Class, awarded by the late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, June 1995.
• Renaissance Badge of Honour of Excellent Class, awarded by HRM the late King Hussain bin Talal of Jordan, December 1996.
• Renaissance Badge of Honour of Excellent Class, awarded by HRM King Abdullah II bin Hussein of Jordan, June 1999.
• Oman Order of Military Merit of Second Class, awarded by HRH Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, February 2000.
• Legion of Merit of Great Officer, awarded by Jacques Chirac, French President, June 2002
• Badge of Honour of Independence, awarded by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, January 2005.
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Golden Badge of Honour, presented by Dr Jack Diouf, Director General of the FAO, April 2007.
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Badge of Honour for Food Security and an international recognition certificate from the Environmental Practices Certification Institute, presented by Dr Jack Diouf, Director General of the FAO, September 2008.
• Legion of Merit of Jerusalem, awarded by Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President, October 2008.
• Federal Order of Merit, awarded by Dr Frank Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister, awarded October 2008.
• Legion of Merit of Excellent Class, awarded by HRM King Juan Carlos of Spain, May 2008.
• Global Villages of Children Founder's Golden Medal, March 2009.
• Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm with the title of Tun, conferred by HM King Al Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin of Malaysia on 17 June 2011 in recognition of His Highness’ efforts in taking Malaysia-UAE relations of friendship and cooperation to new heights.
• Gunghwa Order, presented to crown princes and heads of government, was conferred by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on 21 November 2012.
• France’s National Order of Merit was conferred by French President Francois Hollande on 15 January 2013 in recognition of the growing cooperation ties between the UAE and France.
• Order of the Montenegrin Great Star, conferred by President Filip Vujanovic of Montenegro on 12 December 2013, in appreciation of his huge contribution to the development of the relations between the UAE and Montenegro. The order is conferred on those who contribute to the development of ties of cooperation and friendship between Montenegro and other countries.
• Order of Independence, Kosovo's highest honor to international figures, presented by President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, on 21 April 2014. Kosovo's Order of Independence recognizes the U.A.E.'s contribution to peace-keeping in Kosovo, its social and economic aid to the Balkan country as well as its recognition of independent Kosovo, as well as the efforts of His Highness the Crown Prince to back and follow up the peace-keeping process in Kosovo.
• Order of the Mohammedi of first-class, conferred by King Mohammed VI of Morocco on 17 March 2015, in recognition of H.H.’s contributions and efforts to support the UAE-Moroccan ties and his keenness to solidify them in the service of mutual interests of the two countries and people.

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