SheikhZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, romanized: Ash-Shaykh Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was the ruler of Abu Dhabi for more than 30 years (6 August 1966[1] – 2 November 2004).
He was the main builder of the United Arab Emirates. He was the Union's first Raʾīs (President), a post which he held for almost 33 years (1971 until his death in 2004).[2][3] He is known as the "Father of the Nation".[4]