The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE

His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. He was born in 1961 and has played an active part in the development of Abu Dhabi Emirate through more than three decades of rapid economical and social change. Long before his appointment as Crown Prince, he has been known as the driving force behind initiatives to ensure and strengthen Abu Dhabi’s security, sustainability, and economic diversification.

Military Career

During his military education Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed completed the staff college course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst/UK, from where he graduated in 1979. He was trained in basic armour, basic flying, helicopter conversion, tactical flying, and paratroops. His experience encompasses commanding an armoured unit, a Gazelle helicopter squadron, the Air School and the Air College. He has been Commander of the UAE Air Forces and Air Defence, and Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, before being appointed Chief-of-Staff of the UAE Armed Forces in 1993 and one year later Lieutenant General. When his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, passed away in 2004 and his older brother, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was elected president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed became Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in Jan 2005 and was promoted to the rank of General.

Government Offices and Decorations

In addition to his military responsibilities, General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was the principal advisor on security issues to his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and became Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2003. Since 2004 he has been first Deputy Chairman and later Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

General Sheikh Mohamed is an active member of the Supreme Petroleum Council, which has policy jurisdiction over oil and energy issues. He has received numerous citations and decorations from the UAE and other countries, among which are Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, South Korea, Malaysia and the United Nations.

Interests & Activities

Economic Development
Economic Diversification is a key area of Sheikh Mohamed’s efforts to contribute to Abu Dhabi Emirate. He is the Head of the UAE Offsets Group, which is in charge of channeling defence-related investments into viable projects in various sectors to help diversify the UAE economy. Going on a path to diversification, the Mubadala Development was established in 2002 as one of the main investment vehicles for the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to achieve sustainable social and economic benefits for the Emirate.
Research and Education
Education, whether public, private or higher education, is a key concern of Sheikh Mohamed, who is the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), founded in 2005. Since then ADEC has been monitoring and developing the educational system in Abu Dhabi Emirate, by conducting surveys, integrating students and parents in assessment processes, and reaching out to international educational institutions to exchange innovations to develop the educational sector. His Highness is also the President of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) which has published major academic analyses on topics which concern both the UAE and the region as a whole.
Environmental Protection
Sheikh Mohamed’s interest in the enrichment of nature and in protecting the falcon, houbara bustard and Arabian oryx within the UAE and internationally led to establishing and chairing the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Moreover, Sheikh Mohamed is the Honorary Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. He is not only a passionate falconer himself, but is also concerned about the preservation and protection of falcons, as well as other endangered species and plants. Naturally, the animals of the Arabian Peninsula are especially dear to him, especially the oryx and the houbara. His efforts in nature preservation have led him to taking a lead in Abu Dhabi’s alternative energy projects, mainly Masdar City. This global standard-setting alternative and renewable energy initiative is the world’s first zero waste, zero emission city.