15 amazing facts about Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Al-Nahyan

His Highness Genral Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, is all set to arrive in India as the chief guest of the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. It is obvious that the opportunity is ripe to take the bilateral relations between India and UAE to a different level altogether.

 

During this visit, UAE and India will sign as many as 16 agreements so that their partnership is elevated to a comprehensive and a strategic one. However, many of you might know who Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is but there are some fascinating facts that you might not be aware of.

 

Here are 15 facts about Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan:

 

## He is the third son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was the first President of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

## After the death of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan became the crown prince of Abu Dhabi in 2004 and later in 2005 he was appointed as the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

 

## Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan serves as a special adviser to the President of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who happens to be the former’s elder brother.

 

## The crown prince is also the head of the Mubadala Development Company, which is main investment vehicle for the government of Abu Dhabi.

## Mohammed bin Zayed also heads the Species Conservation Fund which is a philanthropic endowment established to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives.

 

## The Deputy Supreme Commander has been fighting against human trafficking by funding the ‘Global Report on Trafficking Persons’ through a Dh 55 million donation to the United Nations Global initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.   

## Back in 2011, Al Nahyan inked a deal with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pump in $ 50 million each to fund the purchase and delivery of vaccines for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

## Al Nahyan is also the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Educational Council. This council monitors and develop the educational system of the Emirate.

 

## He also received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit from Spain in 2008.

## He represented the UAE at the Nuclear Security Summit in 2012 and 2014.

 

## Mohammed bin Zayed is married to Sheikh Salama bint Hamdan bin Mohammad Al Nahyan since 1981.  

 

## Al Nahyan is also the General of the United Arab Emirates Air Force since 1979.

## He has got five brothers – Hamdan, Hazza, Tahnoun, Mansour and Abdullah.

 

##Al Nahyan’s arrival in India would mean the setting up of National Infrastructure Investment Fund, which was earlier cleared by the Union Cabinet in March 2016.

 

## In 1979, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he trained in armour, helicopter flying, tactical flying and paratroops.