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Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE founder

Thirty six years after its independence, the young national of the UAE is paying tribute to its founder and guiding star, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The revered leader not only united the seven emirates into a federation, he also provided the vision and leadership which has led to the country’s all-round growth and development.

If the UAE’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) today stands at $30,000, much of the credit goes to Sheikh Zayed’s stewardship of the country from the time it became independent on December 2, 1971, and till his death on November 2, 2004.

Born in 1918, Sheikh Zayed was the grandson of Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, who had ruled Abu Dhabi from 1855-1909. His father, Sheikh Sultan, became the Ruler of Abu Dhabi between 1922 and 1926. Then, after a brief reign by an uncle, Sheikh Zayed’s eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut, became ruler from early 1928.

At the time, the emirate of Abu Dhabi was part of the Trucial coast, which had entered into a treaty relationship with Britain. Britain had established its presence in the region in 1820. As the premier colonial power of the time, it had signed a number of maritime truce agreements with the local rulers, giving the area its name.

During this period, Abu Dhabi was poor, with its economy based upon a combination of fishing and pearl-diving along the coast.

Agriculture which was underdeveloped was practiced inland in some of the oases such as Liwa and Al Ain. Abu Dhabi’s economy was badly hit when the market for the Gulf’s high quality pearls collapsed in the late 1920s. This was mainly on account of the emergence of Japanese cultured pearls and the prevalence of the world economic depression. The decline in economic fortunes not only hit the people hard, but is also affected the fortunes of Sheikh Zayed’s family personally.

Apart from the challenging economic situation, there was little opportunity for education then. Not a single modern school existed along the coast at the time when young Shiekh Zayed was growing up.

Like many of his compatriots, he received only rudimentary instruction on the principles of Islam from a local Islamic preacher.

However, his unbounded enthusiasm and a thirst for practical knowledge drew him into the desert where he could learn about the lives of Bedouin tribesmen firsthand.

The lessons were productive for Sheikh Zayed became well acquainted with the way of life of the people, their inherited skills and more importantly, about their capability to withstand the harsh climatic conditions of the desert.

This experience was highly enriching from a political point of view as well, for it brought Sheikh Zayed into direct contact with the people.

When he was barely in his teens, Sheikh Shakbut concluded that Sheikh Zayed was worthy of his trust. When foreign oil companies arrived for geological surveys in the thirties, Sheikh Zayed was assigned the task of accompanying and guiding them in Abu Dhabi’s desert. The young Zayed acquitted himself well, and this soon led to his elevation as the ruler’s representative at the inland oasis of Al Ain. This event marked the beginning of Sheikh Zayed’s evolution as a political leader who became uniquely rooted to his country’s history and culture, without losing his penchant for modernity. Later in his life when he had become President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed eloquently expressed how modernisation had to align with his country’s heritage.

When Sheikh Zayed arrived in Al Ain, the oasis had nine villages, six of which belonged to Abu Dhabi. Three belonged to the Sultanate of Oman including Buraimi. Sheikh Zayed was not only in charge of these villages, but a vast desert stretch also came under his jurisdiction. This enabled him not only to learn the techniques of government but also allowed him to deepen his knowledge of the tribes residing in the area.

In these early years, Sheikh Zayed concentrated on stimulating agriculture in the oases.

To accomplish this, he supervised the cleaning of he falajes – ancient subterranean water channels which were central to agricultural development. The resulting expansion of the area under cultivation added to the incomes of the residents of Al Ain considerably. Sheikh Zayed also sought to develop Al Ain as a market town, serving a much larger area.

As development began show up, Sheikh Zayed launched a new city plan that would serve Al Ain well in the future.

In Al Ain, he also ordered the planting of ornamental tress on a large scale.

The experience served him well for later he would steer a massive afforestation programme in the country following UAE’s independence.

The federation of the UAE was officially formed in 1971, with Sheikh Zayed elected as President by his fellow rulers. He was re-elected to the Presidency at a regular five year interval till his death in 2004. Thirty six years after its formation, it is evident that Sheikh Zayed’s vision of establishing the UAE as a federation has paid off. – Atul Aneja

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