DUBAI // Known for his role as the head of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed was not only active in the business world but also in government and humanitarian sectors. A younger brother of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Ahmed was the chairman of the board of trustees of their late father's organisation, the Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation. The foundation was formed by Sheikh Zayed in 1992 to channel his humanitarian initiatives within the country and abroad. The foundation has worked on projects in the UAE focusing on assistance to the medical field, such as the provision of ambulances and medical equipment. It was also involved in the construction of mosques and awarding of educational scholarships. Internationally, the foundation has been involved in programmes from the United States to China. These included the Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Centre, an orphanage in Mombasa, Kenya; the Sheikh Zayed Library in Tripoli, Lebanon; as well as support to the Zayed College for Girls in Auckland, New Zealand. In addition to his role within the foundation, Sheikh Ahmed, who was in his early 40s, had spent the last few years in the position of managing director of Adia, which was established in 1976. He had previously served as the undersecretary of what was then known as the Ministry of Finance and Industry. In 2009, Sheikh Ahmed was named the 27th most powerful person in the world by Forbes magazine - the second highest ranking Arab behind Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. He was also among the finalists for the Time 100 list for 2009. He was known as a very discreet individual, who kept a relatively low public profile.
zconstantine@thenational.ae
