By Sulaimon Jamiu
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, considered the de-facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, was elected as the new president of the oil-rich nation on Saturday after his half-brother and former ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin al-Nahyan passed away on May 13 at the age of 73.
Below are 10 things you should know about the newly elected president.
1. He was born on March 11, 1961, as the third son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the nation and the first president of the UAE.
2. At the age of 18, he joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he is said to have underwent training in armour, helicopter flying, tactical flying and paratroops, according to Khaleej Times newspaper. After graduating in April 1979, he returned home to the UAE to join the Officers’ Training Course in Sharjah.
3. In 1981, Mohamed got married to Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan. The union is blessed with nine children; four sons and five daughters.
4. Sheikh Mohamed 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.
5. It was under Mohamed’s leadership that the UAE built the first peaceful nuclear power reactor, the Barakah nuclear power plant, in the region.
6. He was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019 by TIME magazine.
7. In November 2018, he was accused of “war crimes and complicity in torture and inhumane treatment” in Yemen, by some group of French activists.
8. In April 2021, the Jakarta–Cikampek Elevated Toll Road in Indonesia was renamed as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Skyway.
9. He is the 3rd President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.
10. The 61-year-old heads the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED), and is the Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
