| Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | |
|---|---|
| Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces | |
| Spouse | Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan |
| Full name | |
| HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa bin Shakhbut bin Dheyab bin Issa Al Nahyan | |
| House | House of Al Nahyan |
| Father | HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan |
| Mother | HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi |
| Born | 1961 (age 50–51) Abu Dhabi |
| Religion | Muslim (Sunni Islam) |
Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (born in 1961) is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces .
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He became Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in November 2004 and was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in January 2005. Later that month, he was promoted to the rank of General. Since December 2004, he has also been the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, which is responsible for the development and planning of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is a member of the Supreme Petroleum Council.[1] He also serves as a Special Advisor to the President of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his older brother. He is also head of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED), which is the economic policy advisory council in Abu Dhabi.
Al Nahyan is also the head of the Mubadala Development Company which, since its establishment in 2002, represents the main investment vehicle for the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to achieve sustainable social and economic benefits for the Emirate. In addition, he is the head of the UAE Offsets Program Bureau and is the head of the Abu Dhabi Education Council which was set up in September 2005 to develop education and vocational training. His efforts in the realm of economic development are aimed at increasing economic diversification in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As the Head of the UAE Offsets Group, Al Nahyan is involved with the task of channelling defence-related investments into profitable projects across different sectors in order to help diversify the economy of the UAE.[2] He is the head of AIDA.
In 2008, the first group of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed University scholars were selected as part of the New York University at Abu Dhabi campus intitiative, recognizing outstanding students in the United Arab Emirates and providing them with special academic and leadership opportunities.[3]
In 2009, HE President Sarkozy visited Abu Dhabi in May to lay the foundation stone of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, located in the cultural district in Saadiyat Island. President Sarkozy said during the visit, expressing his delight at visiting the UAE again: I would like to come back to the UAE and Abu Dhabi in particular, which I have some good memories from my first visit in January 2008. I would be pleased to meet again President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whom I respect very much. I will also be happy to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. [4] Al Nahyan regularly receives foreign heads of states and representatives visiting the United Arab Emirates. Amongst them have been Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In November 2010, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, came to the UAE for their second state visit to the country and were received, together with their accompanying delegation by HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, amongst others.[5] Welcoming them to the UAE, Al Nahyan underlined the importance of the visit as the opening of a new phase in the close relations of cooperation and bonds of friendship between the two countries.[6] Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also accompanied Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on a tour of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at the beginning of their visit.[7]
In January 2011 Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed emphasised the keenness of the UAE, under the leadership of President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to strengthen further the relations with the US. Discussions revolved around bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them, for the most part in economic and cultural affairs as well as in the fields of science and technology. Talks also included a review of the regional situation, in addition to latest developments in the Middle East peace process, stressing the importance of increasing the chances of peace in the Middle East and maintaining peace and stability in the region.[8]
Al Nahyan is actively engaged in several projects targeted at increasing the welfare of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He has initiated projects in various areas, such as economic development, education and environmental protection.
He also heads the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund which is Philanthropic endowment establish to: Provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives, Recognize leaders in the field of species conservation; and Elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate http://www.mbzspeciesconservation.org/
Moreover, in the realm of humanitarian affairs, Al Nahyan has been underlining his commitment to the fight against human trafficking by funding the ‘Global Report on Trafficking Persons’ through a Dh55 million donation to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).[9][10]
Another area of interest of Al Nahyan is the education sector. His activities in this field include his role as President of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR). The centre is dedicated to the publication of academic analyses on topics relevant to the region. In the area of school curricula and higher education, Al Nahyan is also chairman of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), which was founded in 2005.
ADEC monitors and develops the educational system of the Emirate. Methods of the council’s work include running surveys, aiming at an integration of students and parents in assessment processes and increasing the exchange of ideas with international educational institutions in order to foster development in the educational sector.
In addition, Al Nahyan is committed to environmental protection. He set up the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund motivated by his interest in the preservation and protection, both locally and on an international level, of endangered species and plants. A passionate falconer himself, Al Nahyan is committed to the protection of falcons, as well as other species, including the oryx and the houbara from Arabian Peninsula.[2] [11] In line with his dedication to environment protection, he has also taken a lead in alternative energy projects in Abu Dhabi, primarily Masdar City.[2]
Al Nahyan has received numerous citations and decorations from the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, United States, United Kingdom, France and Italy.
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