The life of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who has been elected as UAE President, has been one of public service and dedication to his country.
A soldier and long-serving leader, Sheikh Mohamed, who is also Ruler of Abu Dhabi, was born in Al Ain in 1961.
He is the third son of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
At this time of Sheikh Mohamed's birth, Sheikh Zayed was Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region.
It was an important time for Abu Dhabi. The emirate had discovered oil three years earlier and huge developments were taking place.
Sheikh Zayed was also leading talks to form a new country. When Abu Dhabi became part of the UAE in December 1971, Sheikh Mohamed had already turned 10.
Sheikh Zayed became the new country's first President and his son found himself increasingly in the public eye.
Despite the path that was developing for the future leader, photographs from this time also show him enjoying the simple pleasures of childhood such as playing on a swing or sitting proudly on his horse.
In the late 1960s, he had enrolled at the Al Kindi Primary School where a famous photograph shows him sitting at a desk with his books. His public life started early. In April 1971, Sheikh Mohamed was given the responsibility of presenting the opening of the school’s first exhibition.
Watched by his teacher, Mohamed Al Tamimi, Sheikh Mohamed can be seen being greeted by the guest of honour that day, the President of the UAE — but also a proud father.
By 1979, Sheikh Mohamed had graduated from the prestigious Sandhurst Military Academy in the UK. He was greeted on his return to Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Zayed and the moment was captured in a famous photograph by Al Ittihad newspaper.
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Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, joins Emirati officers during a training session in Canjuers, southern France, in July 1999, before their deployment to KFOR in Kosovo. Jack Dabaghian / AFP -
Emirati troops sit on their tanks on the main bridge separating the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica on February 27, 2000. The UAE soldiers were sent to guard the bridge. Jack Guez / AFP -
UAE Air Force personnel load neck braces into a helicopter for a flight up to the Kosovar refugee camps in northern Albania on April 25, 1999. Hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving in the camps have injuries. Mike Nelson / AFP -
Thousands of refugees make their way home across the border from Albania into Kosovo Wednesday on June 16, 1999. There were more than 120,000 refugees in the Kukes area. David Guttenfelder / AP -
Emirati soldiers sit atop a pillbox reading a map at the Nato humanitarian base at the Tirana Airport April 28, 1999 in Albania. The UAE Air Force flies four helicopter-missions a day to bring aid to Kosovar refugees in northern Albania. Mike Nelson / AFP -
Kosovar refugees settle in the camp on May 10, 1999. Joel Robine / AFP -
Two Emirati attack helicopters fly over the countryside bearing the KFOR markings of the Nato-led peacekeeping mission. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
UAE forces begin building a refugee camp in mid-April on muddy ground. Spring in Albanian brought snow, pouring rain and rising temperatures - often in the space of one day. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
The White Hands mission camp was located on low ground surrounded by mountains. The UAE Air Force managed to land a huge C-130 Hercules on a disused old landing strip nearby. “It was not easy to reach but thanks to God we succeeded. It was an amazing effort," Al Ketbi says. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
A young Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed accompanied by a TV crew tours the camp. Also pictured centre right is Obaid Al Ketbi. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
Emirati soldiers pictured at the camp near the town of Kukes, Albania. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
Kosovar children receive back to school kits and backpacks. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
![“We would see four seasons [in a day], from cold to hot to warm weather," says Col Yousef Al Harmoudi. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/76FNDBJYQABBWIQJWBA5KNWN5Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c5136b23a4573955969faf3dc5a0990be486ccdfb666ffc3c7da79fb5b16ab0&width=400&height=225)
“We would see four seasons [in a day], from cold to hot to warm weather," says Col Yousef Al Harmoudi. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
Supplies arrive by helicopter. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
Refugees queue for food and supplies. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi -
A young girl waves the UAE flag as refugees prepare to return home from Albania to Kosovo. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi
![“We would see four seasons [in a day], from cold to hot to warm weather," says Col Yousef Al Harmoudi. Courtesy: Maj Gen Obaid Al Ketbi](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/76FNDBJYQABBWIQJWBA5KNWN5Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c5136b23a4573955969faf3dc5a0990be486ccdfb666ffc3c7da79fb5b16ab0&width=800&height=450)
A life of public service beckoned and that same year, now an officer in the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed accompanied Sheikh Zayed to Saudi Arabia for the country’s annual military manoeuvres.
Sheikh Mohamed also inspected the UAE Armed Forces in Kuwait and participated in its peacekeeping mission to Kosovo, a milestone moment for the military.
When Sheikh Zayed died in 2004, Sheikh Khalifa became President and Sheikh Mohamed became Crown Prince and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Since then, his dedication to the development of the UAE and the happiness of all Emiratis and residents has continued.
He has also become a familiar figure on the world stage, welcoming US president George W Bush to Abu Dhabi in 2008 and, as recently as last year, meeting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the UK.
Sheikh Mohamed also provided vital and reassuring support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I'd like you to keep this in mind, this time shall pass," said Sheikh Mohamed in 2020, as the world grappled with the pandemic and uncertainty gripped the world. "But it requires some patience."
By the end of last year, Sheikh Mohamed could deliver a message of hope as he declared that the UAE had “overcome the Covid-19 crisis” and called on people to return to normality.
Sheikh Mohamed also said watching videos of residents singing the UAE national anthem to praise the front-line heroes for their fight against Covid-19 had moved him to tears.
Proof, as ever, that Sheikh Mohamed remains a man of the people.
