His Highness Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
عبد الله بن زايد آل نهيان
Sheikh Abdullah in 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the United Arab Emirates[1]
Assumed office
9 February 2006
PresidentKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime MinisterMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Preceded byRashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi
Minister of Information and Culture
of the United Arab Emirates
In office
23 March 1997 – 9 February 2006
PresidentZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime MinisterMaktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Preceded byKhalfan bin Mohammed Al Roumi
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born (1972-04-30) 30 April 1972 (age 51)
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
SpouseAl Yazia bint Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan
Children
  • Fatima
  • Mohammed
  • Zayed
  • Saif
  • Theyab
Parents
Alma materUnited Arab Emirates University

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: عبد الله بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; born 30 April 1972) is the Minister of Foreign Affairs 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.[2]

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,[3] and has five children: Fatima, Mohammad, Zayed, Saif and Theyab.[4]

Career

Abdullah with Michael Spindelegger in 2013

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates on 9 February 2006.[5][6]

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.[7]

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."[8]

On 14 February 2019, Sheikh Abdullah said that Israel was justified in attacking Iranian targets in Syria.[9]

Abdullah (right) at the White House Abraham Accords signing ceremony on 15 September 2020

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.[10][11]

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.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14]

Honours

Ancestry

See also

References

  1. ^ "Key Members of Government". UAE Embassy in Washington, DC. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. ^ PTI (16 September 2020). "Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign Abraham Accord; Trump says "dawn of new Middle East"". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. ^ "International media and knowledge centre inaugurated". fao.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  4. ^ "H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan". Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  5. ^ "His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan". uaecabinet.ae. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  6. ^ "H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan". Emirates Diplomatic Academy. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Tony Blair's Middle East envoy work secretly bankrolled by wealthy Arab state". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  8. ^ UAE criticizes 'colonial' role of Iran, Turkey in Syria. Reuters. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  9. ^ Ahren, Raphael. "In clip leaked by PMO, Arab ministers seen defending Israel, attacking Iran". timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Trump hails 'dawn of new Middle East' with UAE-Bahrain-Israel deals". BBC News. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  11. ^ Crowley, Michael (15 September 2020). "Trump Hosts Israel, U.A.E. and Bahrain at White House Signing Ceremony". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  12. ^ "UAE foreign ministry calls for de-escalation in first official statement on Ukraine". CNN. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  13. ^ Ulrichsen, Kristian Coates (February 2018). "The Changing Security Dynamics of the Persian Gulf". Google Books. ISBN 9780190911379. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation biography". mofaic.gov.ae. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Presidenti Nishani dekoron Lartësinë e Tij Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan me Dekoratën "Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu"". president.al. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Honorary awards" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2021.

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