Profile: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President

Sheikh Mansour has devoted his life to public service along with international business experience

President Sheikh Mohamed has named Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed as Vice President. Presidential Court

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, the new Vice President who will serve alongside Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has a multitude of roles in government and private business.

Sheikh Mansour has two ministerial posts in the Cabinet, is vice chairman of Abu Dhabi's strategic investment company Mubadala, and holds a large number of positions in public organisations.

As chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, he has led a major overhaul with a focus on civic, family and personal status laws that have effectively separated expats from the sharia-based legal system.

Sheikh Mansour, 51, now ascends to one of the most influential positions in Emirati public life.

Most recently, he has led the Emiratisation programme as head of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council.

In January, it was announced that tens of thousands of Emiratis had been successfully placed in new private sector jobs since the launch of the Nafis employment programme a year ago.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid praised the role of Sheikh Mansour for his work in enacting the Emiratisation drive, despite having several top positions to manage.

“With the presence of my brother, the President of the State — may God protect him — we honour today my brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed for his exceptional efforts in serving the United Arab Emirates,” Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter in January.

“Sheikh Mansour is a brother, friend and supporter. He is a supporter of the President of the State, a supporter of me in the federal government, and a supporter and role model for his fellow citizens."

Sheikh Mohammed said Sheikh Mansour was also responsible for the Central Bank and manages the UAE Investment Authority, with assets exceeding Dh30 billion.

“Sheikh Mansour is one of the great extensions of Zayed and one of the pillars of the great nation,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

President Sheikh Mohamed applauds as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, awards Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, with the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash. All photos: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mansour spoke at the World Government Summit last year, which was held in the closing days of Expo 2020 Dubai.

In a frank speech, he said that despite the UAE's fast growth and rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, there was much work to be done.

Sheikh Mansour said the industrial sector had not developed enough in recent years and that the coronavirus pandemic had shown we are too reliant on imports of food.

“We were a little oblivious to the industrial sector," he said.

"If we compare our revenue of the industrial sector to our GDP, 10 years ago it was 8 per cent and today the growth is 9 per cent, and this is sad and shameful."

Sheikh Mansour said investors could rely on the country's laws and leaders to protect their businesses.

“No investor will find any legal violations or any surprises that could harm or impact their investment," he said.

“The laws of the UAE are clear and if they need to be modified or adjusted, they will be."

Before his appointment on Wednesday, Sheikh Mansour was one of three Deputy Prime Ministers. He was also Minister of the Presidential Court since 2004.

He is chairman of the Ministerial Development Council, the Emirates Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

Sheikh Mansour is a member of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council and sits on the boards of several investment institutions.

He studied English and International Relations during separate stints at universities in the UAE and California.

In his legal role, Sheikh Mansour has brought about significant changes for Abu Dhabi that have had an immediate effect.

A number of family laws were updated, including a provision to legally register children conceived outside of marriage from November 2021.

Reforms now mean that expatriates can marry and divorce in arrangements that are far closer to that of their home country, rather than the Sharia-based system of the past.

Hundreds of expatriates, who perhaps once married abroad, now tie the knot in the capital's Civil Family Court.

Further changes, with the consultation of British and American former judges, mean proceedings and documents may be held in English and other languages, rather than just Arabic.

Internationally, Sheikh Mansour is possibly best recognised as the head of the Abu Dhabi-owned group that owns Manchester City — and a familiar smiling face to thousands of football fans.