Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, passed away at the age of 73, following a journey full of achievements for his country and the Arab and Islamic world.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed was called the “leader of humanity” for leading global humanitarian initiatives worldwide and for managing the problems and crises wisely, leading his country to be a developed country.
Birth and Upbringing.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1948 in Qasr Al Muwaiji in the UAE city of Al Ain.
He is the eldest son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his mother is Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Khalifa belongs to the Bani Yas tribe, which is considered the mother tribe for most of the Arab tribes that settled in what is known today as the UAE, which was historically known as the “Bani Yas Coalition”.
He received his schooling and education in the city of Al Ain at al-Nahyaniya School, which was established by Sheikh Zayed. He spent his childhood in the oases of Al-Ain, in the company of his father.
Sheikh Khalifa remained loyal to his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in his difficult mission to improve the lives of the tribes in the region and establish the authority of the state.
The public councils were Khalifa bin Zayed’s way to touch the concerns of citizens, and made him close to their aspirations and hopes, and also helped him learn management and communication skills in a way that helped the UAE be present now on the global map.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan moved to the city of Abu Dhabi and became its ruler.
In August 1966, he appointed his son Sheikh Khalifa, who was 18 years old at the time, as his representative in the Eastern Region and head of the courts.
Positions of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
During the following years, Sheikh Khalifa held a number of key positions, and became the chief executive officer of the government of his father, and assumed the tasks of supervising the implementation of all major projects.
On February 1, 1969, Sheikh Khalifa was nominated as Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and on the following day, he assumed the duties of the Defense Department in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Khalifa established the Department of Defense in Abu Dhabi, which later became the nucleus of the UAE Armed Forces.
On July 1, 1971, as part of the restructuring of the Abu Dhabi government, Sheikh Khalifa was appointed as the ruler of Abu Dhabi and as the local minister of defense and finance in the emirate.
On December 23, 1973, Sheikh Khalifa assumed the position of Deputy Prime Minister in the second cabinet.
On January 20, 1974, he assumed the presidency of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, which replaced the local government in the emirate.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan supervised the Executive Council in achieving comprehensive development programs in Abu Dhabi, including housing construction, the water supply system, roads, and public infrastructure that led to highlighting the modernity of the city of Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected President of the UAE on November 3, 2004, following the death of his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on November 2, 2004.
The Highlights of His Life
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed was appointed as the representative of the ruler of Abu Dhabi in the Eastern Region, and head of its legal system in August 1966, and was subsequently appointed Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on February 1, 1969.
He assumed the presidency of the first local cabinet in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on July 1, 1971, as well as headed the defense and finance ministries in this cabinet. He became Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Cabinet of the UAE on January 20, 1974.
He was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in 1976.
Sheikh Khalifa became president of the UAE and ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on November 3, 2004.
