UAE’s Founding Father Sheikh Zayed: His remarkable legacy in pictures

Dubai: The UAE will observe January 7 as Zayed the Founder Day from next year. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the annual occasion would celebrate the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father, and his vision, generosity and service to humanity.

On August 6, 1966, Sheikh Zayed became Ruler of Abu Dhabi, ushering in a new era of development that transformed the emirate and paved the way for the creation of the United Arab Emirates. Born around 1918 in Abu Dhabi, he was the youngest of the four sons of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He grew up at a time when the emirate’s economy relied largely on fishing, pearl diving and small-scale agriculture in scattered oases.

As a young man, Sheikh Zayed travelled extensively across the region, gaining a deep understanding of the land and its people. In the early 1930s, he witnessed the first geological surveys for oil, an industry that would later drive the UAE's transformation.

This historic footage of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's accession as Ruler of Abu Dhabi on August 6, 1966, was released online by Zayed TV, a channel created by Abu Dhabi Media Company to celebrate the achievements and legacy of the UAE's Founding Father. The channel was launched as part of the Year of Zayed initiatives in 2018.

Marking the occasion, Zayed TV said:

"On this day in 1966, Sheikh Zayed led the government in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and announced the beginning of an era of human development, construction and investment."

Sheikh Zayed's accession marked the start of a transformative period that laid the foundations for the UAE's remarkable development and the formation of the Union in 1971.

Following Abu Dhabi's first crude oil exports in 1962, he channelled the emirate's growing revenues into schools, hospitals, housing and roads, while increasing support for the Trucial States. His visionary leadership culminated in the formation of the UAE in 1971, when he became the nation's first President.