page_title: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
hierarchical_section_title: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
caption_attribution_description: English: The official picture of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as released in the public domain by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
context_page_description: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the ruler of Abu Dhabi for more than 30 years. He was the founding father and the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates, becoming the Union's first Raʾīs, a post which he held for a period of almost 33 years. He is popularly referred to in the UAE as the Father of the Nation.
context_section_description: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان‎, romanized: Ash-Shaykh Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was the ruler of Abu Dhabi for more than 30 years (6 August 1966 – 2 November 2004). He was the founding father and the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates, becoming the Union's first Raʾīs (President), a post which he held for a period of almost 33 years (1971 until his death in 2004). He is popularly referred to in the UAE as the Father of the Nation.
caption: Official portrait of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan