Sheikh Zayed had long impressed outsiders who travelled to Abu Dhabi, from British diplomats, to oilmen and even desert explorers such as Wilfred Thesiger.
“A strong intelligent face with steady, observant eyes ... his manner was quiet but masterful,” was Thesiger’s first impression after his historic crossing of the Empty Quarter in 1945.
For Archie Lamb, the British political agent in Abu Dhabi in 1965 “his bisht always seemed to be filled with the wind of heaven”.
This was a year before Sheikh Zayed became Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Chosen as the founding President of the UAE 50 years ago, he would become a familiar figure on the world stage until his death on the 19th day of Ramadan in 2004.
The anniversary of his birth is next month, on May 6 – he would have been 104 – and it is an appropriate milestone on which to reflect on how Sheikh Zayed introduced this new country to the world.
His bisht always seemed to be filled with the wind of heaven
Archie Lamb
A full 20 years before the creation of the UAE in December 1971, Sheikh Zayed was already representing the interests of his people abroad.
In the summer of 1951, he travelled to Paris with his brother, then Ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut, for a case at the International Court of Arbitration. The result went in favour of Abu Dhabi, awarding the emirate the rights to oil found under the sea as well as on land.
Photographs of that first trip to Europe survive, one of which shows the group taking a break in a Parisian park and another of Sheikh Zayed taking in the view from the Eiffel Tower.
On the return home, there was a stopover in Rome and the first visit by a Ruler of Abu Dhabi to Vatican City. It would be followed, nearly 70 years later, by the Pope’s arrival in the UAE.
There are other glimpses of the future in that trip. After visiting the Louvre in Paris, it is reported, Sheikh Zayed expressed the hope there would one day be such a museum in Abu Dhabi.
Six years later, Sheikh Zayed paid his first visit to New York, accompanying his uncle, Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan, for treatment for cancer, and the party returned via London on the Queen Mary liner.
Increasingly, Sheikh Zayed would be the international face of the country. Within a year of becoming Ruler in 1966, he visited King Faisal bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia, a gesture of friendship to settle past disputes over the border between the two countries.
Two years later, Sheikh Zayed made his first official visit as Ruler to London, where he was the UK prime minister’s guest of honour at Trooping of the Colour ceremony.
The visit in 1969 was more than ceremonial, for by that time Britain had announced its plan to pull out of the Arabian Gulf, and preparation was advancing for the new country Sheikh Zayed would soon lead.
There was no time for a meeting with the Queen then but, in 1989, he returned for a full state visit and banquet at Buckingham Palace.
It came a decade after the Queen paid the first of her two visits to the UAE, in February 1979.
Deepening the bonds with the British royal family, Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales were welcomed to Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Zayed in March 1989.
Sheikh Zayed’s first visit abroad as President was to Sudan in February 1972, where he was received by Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri.
That was followed by trips to Syria, Oman, Pakistan, Yemen and London, again, this time to meet prime minister Edward Heath in his first year of office.
In only three weeks in 1981, Sheikh Zayed received separately the German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and King Baudouin of Belgium, while preparing for the first summit of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Over the 33 years of his Presidency, Sheikh Zayed would meet many world leaders. He was received by Indira Gandhi on a visit to India in 1975 and welcomed her to Abu Dhabi in 1981.
Other world leaders who came to the UAE included French president Valery Giscard D’Estaing in 1980, British prime minister Margaret Thatcher a year later, King Hussein of Jordan, Algeria’s president Houari Boumedienne and Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. He also met his son, Justin, who would go on to become prime minister himself.
Two of the most famous images of Sheikh Zayed are of him greeting Nelson Mandela, who paid a state visit to the UAE in 1995, and with former US president Jimmy Carter.
Mr Carter came to Abu Dhabi to win support for the Carter Centre, which he set up to fight neglected tropical diseases.
Equally memorable was the sight of Sheikh Zayed walking along the Great Wall of China in 1990, and at the inauguration in 1986 of the rebuilt Marib dam in Yemen, which last held water more than a thousand years earlier.
All but forgotten is a visit to Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque in April 1966, made with his brother Sheikh Shakhbut when the old city was still held by Jordan.
The years of Sheikh Zayed’s Presidency read like a modern history book in which he was frequently on the pages. The 1967 and 1973 Middle East wars with Israel and the 1991 Gulf War, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the Oslo Accords.
He outlasted seven US presidents, from Richard Nixon to George W Bush. The current US president, Joe Biden, had just won his first election as a county councillor in Delaware when the UAE was formed.
Sheikh Zayed’s skills as a leader and a diplomat were honed in the desert, says his former translator, cultural adviser and later Minister of State, Zaki Nusseibeh.
"He had what is known as Al Ferasa, a skill where the person can read the other person's facial and body language and understand and know the truth about their character and intention," he told The National in 2015.
“It is a survival skill in the desert, as one meets wandering strangers all the time. And so when Sheikh Zayed used to meet anyone, and even if he didn’t understand their language, he knew. He just knew what their real intention and character was.”
Sheikh Zayed died on Ramadan 19 in 1425 on the Islamic calendar, which fell on November 2, 2004. Among those travelling to Abu Dhabi for the day of his funeral were presidents, princes and prime ministers, paying tribute to the man who had led the UAE to such a prominent role in the community of nations.
*This story first appeared in The National in 2021
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The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ON%20TRACK
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA