Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Highness Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Office:Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates
Term Start:14 July 2024
President:Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Primeminister:Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Office1:Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the United Arab Emirates
[1]
Term Start1:9 February 2006
President1:Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Primeminister1:Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Predecessor1:Rashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi
Office2:Minister of Information and Culture
of the United Arab Emirates
Term Start2:23 March 1997
Term End2:9 February 2006
Predecessor2:Khalfan bin Mohammed Al Roumi
Successor2:Position abolished
President2:Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Primeminister2:Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Birth Date:30 April 1972
Birth Place:Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Alma Mater:United Arab Emirates University
Spouse:Al Yazia bint Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan
Children:
  • Fatima
  • Mohammed
  • Zayed
  • Saif
  • Theyab
Father:Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Mother:Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi
Native Name Lang:ar

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, AbZ[2] (Arabic: عبد الله بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; born 30 April 1972) is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. He is a son of the founder of the United Arab Emirates, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In 2020, he was a signatory of the Abraham Accords on behalf of the UAE.[3]

Personal life

Abdullah bin Zayed was born in Abu Dhabi on 30 April 1972. He holds a degree in political science from UAE University. He is married to Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif Al Nahyan, who became an FAO Goodwill Ambassador extraordinary in 2010,[4] and has five children: Fatima, Mohammad, Zayed, Saif and Theyab.[5]

Career

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates on 9 February 2006.[6] [7]

In 2017, leaked emails highlighted that Abdullah bin Zayed maintained close contacts with Tony Blair, who was being funded by the UAE as the Middle East peace envoy. Blair held a number of official meetings with the UAE Foreign Minister. The emails also revealed that Abdullah bin Zayed was one of the UAE royals who bankrolled the envoy. In 2011, Sheikh Abdullah's office separately sent $2 million to Blair through Windrush Ventures, which channeled money for Tony Blair's commercial advisory work. The UAE Foreign Ministry also transferred $12 million to Windrush for Blair consultancy work in Colombia, Vietnam and Mongolia.[8]

In August 2017, Sheikh Abdullah urged Iran and Turkey to end what the UAE called their "colonial" actions in Syria, signaling unease about diminishing Gulf Arab influence in the war, and calling "the exit of those parties trying to reduce the sovereignty of the Syrian state." He added that "if Iran and Turkey continue the same historical, colonial and competitive behavior and perspectives between them in Arab affairs, we will continue in this situation not just in Syria today but tomorrow in some other country."[9]

On 14 February 2019, Sheikh Abdullah said that Israel was justified in attacking Iranian targets in Syria.[10] On 15 September 2020, Sheikh Abdullah signed the official Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement in a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., US.[11] [12]

In February 2022, the UAE abstained in a UN Security Council vote to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine. Sheikh Abdullah had a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to the UN Security Council vote. In the phone call, Blinken spoke of the "importance of building a strong international response to support Ukrainian sovereignty through the UN Security Council." The Emirati readout of the phone call did not include Blinken's statement.[13]

Other roles

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is a member of the UAE's National Security Council, Deputy Chairman of the UAE's Permanent Committee on Borders, Chairman of the National Media Council, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and Board Member of the National Defense College.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed served as Minister of Information and Culture from 1997 to 2006.[14] Previously, he served as Chairman of Emirates Media Incorporated, Chairman of the UAE Football Association (1993–2001), and as the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Culture from 1995 to 1997.[15]

Honours

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Key Members of Government. UAE Embassy in Washington, DC. 4 August 2016. en.
  2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-04-24/uae-how-to-get-a-meeting-with-sheikh-tahnoon-abu-dhabi-s-1-5-trillion-man
  3. News: PTI . 2020-09-16 . Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign Abraham Accord; Trump says "dawn of new Middle East" . en-IN . The Hindu . 2023-04-28 . 0971-751X.
  4. News: International media and knowledge centre inaugurated. fao.org. 2021-02-10. en.
  5. Web site: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 28 July 2017. en-gb. 26 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170826091718/http://www.eda.ac.ae/about-us/board-of-trustees/item/318-h-h-sheikh-abdullah-bin-zayed-al-nahyan. dead.
  6. News: His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. uaecabinet.ae. 2021-01-29. en.
  7. News: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Emirates Diplomatic Academy. 2021-01-29. en.
  8. Web site: Exclusive: Tony Blair's Middle East envoy work secretly bankrolled by wealthy Arab state. 13 August 2017. The Telegraph.
  9. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-emirates/uae-criticizes-colonial-role-of-iran-turkey-in-syria-idUSKCN1B91NM UAE criticizes 'colonial' role of Iran, Turkey in Syria
  10. Web site: In clip leaked by PMO, Arab ministers seen defending Israel, attacking Iran. Ahren. Raphael. timesofisrael.com. en-US. 2019-02-15.
  11. News: Trump hails 'dawn of new Middle East' with UAE-Bahrain-Israel deals. 2020-09-15. BBC News. 2021-02-10. en.
  12. News: Crowley . Michael . 2020-09-15 . Trump Hosts Israel, U.A.E. and Bahrain at White House Signing Ceremony . en-US . . 2020-09-15 . 0362-4331.
  13. Web site: 2022-02-26 . UAE foreign ministry calls for de-escalation in first official statement on Ukraine . 2022-02-26 . CNN . en.
  14. News: The Changing Security Dynamics of the Persian Gulf. February 2018. Google Books. 9780190911379. 2021-01-29. en. Ulrichsen. Kristian Coates.
  15. News: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation biography . mofaic.gov.ae. 2021-02-10. en.
  16. Web site: Presidenti Nishani dekoron Lartësinë e Tij Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan me Dekoratën "Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu". president.al. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131200841/http://president.al/?p=16894. 31 January 2018. dead.
  17. News: Honorary awards. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 2021-01-29. en.