The Times considered Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed one of the 25 most influential leaders in the world.
The second president of United Arab Emirates and the 16th ruler of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven constituent emirates of the federation, and the supreme commander of the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates.
Born on September 7, 1948, he assumed the presidency of the UAE on November 3, 2004, succeeding his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, founder of United Arab Emirates, and died on May 13, 2022.
Sheikh Khalifa was born in Qal’at (Palace) Al Muwaiji in the city of Al Ain and was the eldest of the male sons of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.
Sheikh Khalifa lived with his family in the city of Al Ain and received his school education there in the Al-Nahyaniya School established by his father. He spent most of his childhood in the oases of Al Ain and Al Buraimi with his father, who was ruling the Al Ain region at that time.
Sheikh Khalifa kept pace with the history of Emirates in all its stages. His father, Sheikh Zayed, was keen to accompany him in most of his activities and daily visits, and he remained with his father in his mission to improve the lives of tribes in the region and establish state authority, which had a great impact on teaching him the basic values of responsibility, trust and justice.
His first official position was when the Crown Prince of Emirate of Abu Dhabi was the representative of the ruler in the eastern region and head of the courts in it. This position was of great importance in his life, and during his stay in the city of Al Ain, he had a wide opportunity for daily contact with citizens, to see their conditions, and to learn about their aspirations and hopes.
On November 2, 2004; His father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first ruler of United Arab Emirates after the establishment of the federation in 1971, died, and in his capacity as Crown Prince of Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa became the ruler of the emirate immediately after his father’s death, and on November 3, 2004, the Supreme Council of the Federation, headed by Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum , elected him as President of the United Arab Emirates.
Since assuming the rule of the emirate and the presidency of the state, he has supervised and followed up on the development and modernization projects witnessed by all the emirate, and he took over the supervision of what was known as the oil partnership negotiations that reformulated the oil policy and laid the foundations for a more just and equitable relationship with the operating oil companies, and following up on this role, he assumed the presidency of the Supreme Petroleum Council, which is The position he still holds to this day. He also founded and headed the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which oversees the management of financial investments for the emirate within a strategic vision for the development of financial resources and to maintain stable sources of income for future generations.
Sheikh Khalifa established the Department of Social Services and Commercial Buildings, which was known among the people (the Sheikh Khalifa Committee), where it provided generous funds to citizens without any interest, to establish commercial buildings that generate periodic financial returns for them, which contributed to increasing citizens’ incomes and raising their economic and social level. Helped in the prosperity of the construction boom in the country.
Sheikh Khalifa gave great attention to projects to develop and modernize infrastructure and various service facilities, and worked to build a modern administrative apparatus and an integrated legislative system, as a basis for the process of economic and social development. He also launched an initiative to develop the legislative authority’s experience to modify the method for selecting members of the Federal National Council, so that Combining election and appointment as a first step, which ultimately allows for the selection of council members through direct elections.
Sheikh Khalifa is known for punctuality and adherence to a strict daily work program that he distributes between the many official tasks he undertakes and meetings with citizens. Lover of poetry and literature.
Sheikh Khalifa is keen for UAE to be a broad address in extending a helping hand, assistance and support to everyone in need without discrimination due to race, color, religion or gender, so he founded the (Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works), which has effectively contributed to various humanitarian projects In more than 40 countries around the world.
in 1964; Sheikh Khalifa married Shamsa bint Suhail bin Hamad Al Mazrouei, and they had eight children, two boys: Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, and six girls.
To receive notification of the most important news and urgent matters, join our telegram channel through the link