60th Accession Day: How 20 years as Ruler’s Representative shaped Sheikh Zayed to lead UAE

August 6 marks a historic day in the journey of the UAE, the day the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, assumed the leadership of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. This was a landmark moment that transformed the course of the nation’s history.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on the 60th anniversary of this occasion, “On this historic milestone, we recall the beginnings that nurtured our collective journey of progress and laid the foundations of the Union.”

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The accession of Sheikh Zayed in 1966 was not just a change in leadership; it was the dawn of a new era of comprehensive development, unity, and progress.

The early years and Bedouin roots

Born around 1918, Sheikh Zayed was the youngest child of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who ruled Abu Dhabi from 1922 to 1926. At the time of his birth, the emirate was undeveloped, with an economy based primarily on fishing, pearl diving and simple agriculture in scattered inland oases.

Sheikh Zayed was raised in an authentic Bedouin environment that profoundly shaped his character and personality, endowing him with ethics, wisdom and composure. The majlis, a cultural and social institution, significantly contributed to his personal development, instilling in him deep-rooted values, customs and traditions that would later define his style of governance. He was also renowned for his patience, vision and wisdom qualities that earned him the title of “the wise man of the Arabs”.

Through the late 1920s and 1930s, Sheikh Zayed spent considerable time in the desert, living alongside Bedouin tribesmen and learning about their way of life and the environment. He later recalled with pleasure his experience of desert life and his initiation into the sport of falconry, which became a lifelong passion.

A ground for leadership

In 1946, at the age of 29, Sheikh Zayed was appointed as the Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi, centred on the oasis of Al Ain. He held this role for twenty years, dedicating himself entirely to enhancing the living standards of the region’s residents.

Sheikh Zayed succeeded in bringing remarkable progress to Al Ain. He established basic administration and personally funded the first modern school in the emirate, Al Muwaiji, in 1956, followed by Al Nahyaneia School in 1959 marking the establishment of the first formal school in the Al Ain Region.

One of his most significant achievements during this period was addressing the region’s water scarcity. In 1946, he launched a pioneering project to develop a water resources management system.

He revised local water ownership rights to ensure a more equitable distribution and restored the ancient falaj (underground water channel) irrigation systems, which kept the plantations of the oasis irrigated and fertile. This initiative led to agricultural development, transforming the desert into a greener, more productive haven.

The National Library and Archives of the UAE further records that British traveler Sir Wilfred Thesiger, who documented his famous journeys across the Empty Quarter, described Sheikh Zayed in his book Arabian Sands as “a strongly built man, with a brown beard. He was shrewd and sharp-witted, and his manner was quiet but masterful,” adding that Sheikh Zayed had “a great reputation among the Bedouins. They liked him for his easy, informal ways and his friendliness, and they respected his strong character, his shrewdness and his physical strength.”.

The turning point: August 6, 1966

The discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in 1958 and the start of commercial exports in 1962 brought new possibilities for the emirate. It was immediately apparent that an innovative vision of governance was needed to address the new challenges and to optimise the utilisation of oil revenues. The Al Nahyan family unanimously elected Sheikh Zayed as the new Ruler of the emirate on August 6, 1966, thus beginning a new phase in the history of Abu Dhabi.

With a clear mandate to develop the emirate as quickly as possible, Sheikh Zayed immediately put the oil revenues to work for the benefit of the people. In September 1966, just a month after his accession, he formed the Abu Dhabi Planning Council to oversee large-scale development strategies.

A massive construction programme was launched, building schools, housing, hospitals, and roads across the emirate. Thousands of local people moved from palm frond houses into modern homes, modern roads were built over the desert sand, and fresh water supply and electricity were connected to every house.

Sheikh Zayed also initiated Abu Dhabi’s entry into the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1967 and authorised the creation of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in 1971 the country’s first national oil company.

 “We use wealth to serve our people, to build schools, universities and hospitals, roads, farms and factories," he said.

Paving the way for the Union

When the British announced in January 1968 their intention to withdraw their military presence from the Arabian Gulf by the end of 1971, Sheikh Zayed immediately established closer ties with the other emirates. He went to Dubai to discuss the next steps with the then Ruler of Dubai, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

On February 18, 1968, both Sheikhs signed the initial union agreement between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the Al Sameeh area, on their shared border. They envisioned a Federation that would include the seven emirates of the Trucial States. Sheikh Zayed’s enthusiasm was a critical factor in the formation of the UAE, and he also won support for the way he sought consensus and agreement among his fellow Rulers.

Eventually, six emirates followed Sheikh Zayed in establishing the UAE, which formally emerged on the international stage on December 2, 1971. The Rulers of the other emirates unanimously elected Sheikh Zayed as the first President of the UAE until his passing on November 2, 2004.

As the UAE marks this historic anniversary, the nation remembers a leader who transformed the harshness of the past into a bright future leaving behind a legacy of generosity, progress, and visionary leadership that continues to inspire generations.

Written by

Ruqayya Al Qaydi

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Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.