SHEIKH ZAYED 2
Sheikh Zayed
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan was an honorable leader who commanded a lot of respect.
Among his key characteristics was that he possessed was impeccable faith and an amazing
intuition. He also possessed great diplomatic skills that made him an excellent leader. His
diplomatic skills inspired his determination to unite the Emirates and make it a federation. He
called for cooperation from the Persian Gulf to Iran. He employed the use of dialogue to settle
different feuds and rows. A good example is when he settled the conflict with Tehran over the
strategic Gulf Islands. The Islands would later be seized by Iran.
Another way which he employed his great personality was through allowing free media.
Sheikh Zayed was a liberal ruler who permitted freedom of the media. However, he expected the
media to behave responsibly and practice self-censorship. Despite being a Muslim head of state,
Sheikh Zayed allowed freedom of worship to a certain level. The result was that this raised
several points of concern from the wider Arab world.
Zayed was wealthy and his wealth extended to about 2 billion dollars. His wealth mainly
came from his oil dealings. He oversaw the establishment of the Abu Dhabi fund. The fund
aimed at ensuring that the poor Islamic nations benefited from the funds. He used his wealth in a
shrewd manner and is credited for turning fortunes of the deserts. He ensured that he invested
heavily in the deserts and this resulted in the harsh environment being turned. He also established
institutions such as hospitals and educational institutions that were of great benefit to the people
of U.A.E. The citizens enjoyed free access to these institutions.
