UAE’s Federal Supreme Council on Saturday unanimously elected His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as President of the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is also the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi – the largest of the seven emirates constituting the Federation.
The Federal Supreme Council held a meeting today at Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said that according to Article 51 of the Constitution, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was unanimously elected as the President of the UAE to succeed the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
UAE PRESIDENT SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN DIES
About the new president
Sheikh Mohamed was born on March 11, 1961, in Al Ain. He is the third son of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the nation and the first President of the UAE. He grew up under the watchful eye of his father and his mother, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
He was educated at schools in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi until the age of 18. In 1979, he joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he trained in armour, helicopter flying, tactical flying and paratroops.
After graduating in April 1979, he returned home to the UAE to join the Officers’ Training Course in Sharjah, another Emirate of the UAE. He has held a number of roles in the UAE military, from that of Officer in the Amiri Guard (the UAE’s elite security force) and Pilot in the UAE Air Force, to his current role as Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also helped develop the UAE Armed Forces in terms of strategic planning, training, organizational structure and promoting defense capabilities.
Sheikh Mohamed’s direct guidance and leadership, led the UAE Armed Forces to become a leading institution that is widely admired by many international military organisations.
Among his many interests, he is known for his unwavering commitment to enhance educational standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and raise them to be on par with the best international standards.
Since Sheikh Mohamed took on the Chairmanship of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, he has worked tirelessly to forge partnerships with prestigious world-class educational institutions and think-tanks, a number of which have subsequently announced plans to either establish a base in or join strategic joint ventures with existing academic establishments, under the direction of the late Sheikh Khalifa.
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