President of UAE
By Dubai Business Minds :: President of UAE
Oct 19, 2004, 03:50
|
|
 |
| HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of UAE |
President of UAE
"If you meet him with respect, you will leave him with even more respect. He was one of the few great men I have encountered," says author Anthony Shepherd of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.
In 1946 Sheikh Zayed was positioned as the Ruler's Representative in his birthplace, Al Ain. Believing in social justice, he decided the residents would no longer have to pay for water. This meant his family had to forfeit the rights to the water, which was essentially theirs. Citing the Holy Koran and the Hadith of Prophet Mohammed, Shiekh Zayed felt that, “Water originating from the ground ought to be the right of all those who lived about it.”
He encouraged people to cultivate the land with the free-flowing water. “Give me agriculture, I guarantee you a civilization.” Soon after, Al Ain became a major agricultural center.
Sheikh Zayed became Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966. He said, “Unity is the path of power, the path of pride and strength and the path of common good. Segmentation only results in weakness. Weak entities have no place in today's world. These are the lessons of history across ages.” Rulers of the other Emirates agreed. Hence in July 1971, the federation of the United Arab Emirates was formed with Sheikh Zayed as President.
 |
| HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum |
A strong believer in the merits of education Sheikh Zayed has personally financed many educational projects, providing brighter futures for UAE youth. Under his reign as President of UAE, public and private post-secondary educational institutions have been set up all over UAE.
Understanding how crucial protecting the environment is, he established the Higher Environmental Council. It is meant to maintain agriculture and forestation, and protect UAEs wildlife habitats. Under Sheikh Zayed's leadership, large parts of the UAE landscape have been transformed into oasis of green.
Sheikh Zayed has earned a reputation as a philanthropist, and devout leader for his people. Over US$ 5 billion in aid has been provided to countries in need throughout the world.
UAE Related Articles & Resources:
|
