There are moments in our shared story when the world feels unsettled – when the pace of change outstrips our ability to keep up and when young voices begin to ask not only what the future holds, but who will shape it. In such times, leadership matters more than ever.
I have long believed that leadership is not a destination. It is a responsibility. It begins not with titles or accolades, but with service and the quiet, determined work of improving the lives of others. Leadership, at its best, is grounded in humility and guided by a sense of duty to something greater than oneself.
This was the vision of our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He built a nation not through force, but through faith in people, in potential, and in unity. He believed that the true measure of leadership is found not in what one achieves alone, but in what one enables in others. His leadership was personal, present and principled, rooted in values that remain deeply relevant today.
It is in this spirit that the Zayed Education Foundation was established last year. We seek to honour his legacy by investing in the next generation of leaders from the UAE, the Arab world and beyond. These are young people who possess the talent to lead, the heart to serve and the courage to build a better future. We believe leadership flourishes when opportunity is paired with responsibility and aspiration is matched with purpose.
At its core, the foundation is about offering opportunity where it is scarce and extending it with care. We support exceptional students pursuing fields that matter most to their communities, including public health, education, climate and innovation. But more than access to education, we offer a deeper kind of preparation that recognises that today’s challenges demand more than knowledge alone. They demand character, integrity, resilience and vision, as well as an understanding of the communities that leaders are meant to serve.
Crucially, this work begins early. Leadership is often shaped long before university, at the moment when curiosity meets confidence and when guidance can open paths that once felt out of reach. That is why the foundation works across the full journey of a young person’s development, from secondary education through advanced study, research and innovation. We bring together students, educators, researchers and partners into a shared ecosystem designed to nurture talent over time and to translate learning into impact. In doing so, we draw inspiration from Sheikh Zayed’s example: leadership deeply rooted in identity, yet responsive to a changing world.
The Zayed Education Foundation is designed to equip young people with the skills and sensibilities needed to lead across cultures and disciplines, and in complex environments. We teach not only how to think strategically and speak confidently, but also how to act with humility and listen with intent. We teach not just how to lead, but to serve with empathy and care, especially in moments of uncertainty or disagreement.
What we are building is more than an institution. It is a community of principled and purposeful leaders, connected by shared values and bound by a deep commitment to the public good. By 2035, we hope to support more than 100,000 young leaders, each shaped by the UAE’s enduring belief in unity, progress and compassion, and each carrying those values forward in their own context.
This work reflects something deeper than national pride. It is an expression of who we are as a country that has always looked outward, believed in the strength of partnership and has seen education not as privilege, but as promise. It reflects a belief that progress is strongest when it is shared, and that leadership is most powerful when it is inclusive.
We live in a time of extraordinary uncertainty, and yet of immense possibility. The world stands at an inflection point. The answers we seek will not come from institutions alone, but from people. From young people who carry within them the seeds of something better. Our role, as leaders, mentors and citizens, is to recognise that potential early and to nurture it with intention, patience and trust.
The right investment, made at the right moment – in a student, scholar or even a single bold idea – can ripple outward in ways we cannot predict. It can heal, inspire and lead us forward.
The Zayed Education Foundation stands for that commitment. It is a quiet force for good, reaching across borders, unlocking human potential and carrying forward a legacy grounded in service.
This is how we honour Sheikh Zayed’s vision. Not only by remembering his words, but by living his values every day, in every life we touch and in every opportunity we choose to extend.
This is our responsibility. This is our purpose. And this, I believe, is just the beginning.
