Biography of sheikh zayed bin sultan al nahyan

He is credited as the founding father and the principal driving force behind the formation of the UAE , uniting seven emirates. He was also the ruler of Abu Dhabi from until his death. Zayed replaced his older brother Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan as the ruler of Abu Dhabi on 6 August 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 until his death in Zayed was the youngest of his four brothers. His mother was Sheikha Salama bint Butti. She extracted a promise from her sons not to use violence against each other, a promise which they kept. He also showed interest in falconry. He is at least known to have moved from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain in , after the death of his father.

As Zayed was growing up in Al-Ain, there were no modern schools anywhere along the coast. He only received a basic instruction in the principles of Islam, and lived in the desert with Bedouin tribesmen, familiarising himself with the life of the people, their traditional skills and their ability to survive under the harsh climatic conditions.

At this time, the area was poor and prone to outbreaks of disease. When parties from Petroleum Development Trucial Coast began exploring for oil in the area, Zayed assisted them.

Sheikh zayed cause of death

As part of this dispute, Zayed and his brother Hazza attended the Buraimi arbitration tribunal in Geneva in September and gave evidence to tribunal members. When the tribunal was abandoned amid allegations of Saudi bribery, the British initiated the reoccupation of the Buraimi Oasis through a local military force, the Trucial Oman Levies.

A period of stability followed during which Zayed helped to develop the region and took a particular interest in the restoration of the falaj system, a network of water channels which kept the plantations of the Buraimi Oasis irrigated and fertile. The discovery of oil in , and the start of oil exports in , led to frustration among members of the ruling family about the lack of progress under Sheikh Shakhbut's rule.