Pakistan mourns Death of UAE President Sheikh Zayed
By Waris Nizami - Pakistan Times Foreign Correspondent

DUBAI (United Arab Emirates): President of the UAE Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan has passed away. Sources say that Sheikh Zayed died after protracted illness late Tuesday evening.

The president of the United Arab Emirates, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, passed away today. He was 86. Television across the Emirates cut into normal programming to air verses from the Holy Quran.

Shaikh Zayed, who has been the ruler of the United Arab Emirates for more than 30 years, had been ailing for several years and did not attend Arab summits. He had a kidney transplant in August 2000.

Heir Apparent

His eldest son, Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been heir apparent since his father named him in 1969 crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the seven emirates.

Abu Dhabi TV interrupted regular broadcasting to break the news of Shaikh Zayed’s death, but no cause of death was provided. The announcement was followed by an Islamic cleric appearing on TV reading verses from the Qu’ran.

Shaikh Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi since 1966, was the founding leader of the United Arab Emirates, which he had ruled since the seven emirates forged a union and took independence from Britain in 1971.

He has watched over the Emirates’ development from a cluster of desert provinces ruled by Arab tribes to a world-leading financial and banking center.

Communiqué

“The royal court announces to Arab and Islamic countries and the rest of the world the death of the leader of the nation Shaikh Zayed on Tuesday evening,” said an announcement read out on Abu Dhabi television.

Acting President

Under the UAE constitution, Vice-President and Prime Minister Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, will act as president until the federal council which groups rulers of the seven emirates meets within 30 days to elect a new president.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, a son of Shaikh Zayed, will automatically take over as ruler of the capital.

Official sources expect the council to elect Shaikh Khalifa as the next president of the federation.

Pakistan pays Tributes

Pakistan’s top leadership has expressed profound sense of grief and shock over the death of UAE President Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan describing him as an international statesman and a great friend of Pakistan.

President Gen. Parvez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, in separate statements said the Islamic world has lost a great leader who worked for the unity of the Muslim Ummah.

Musharraf to attend Funeral

President Musharraf will attend the funeral of Shaikh Zayed, it was officially announced in Islamabad Tuesday.

The government declared state mourning across the country. Pakistan flag will fly half mast on all government buildings.

Benazir, Nawaz Shocked

Another report says that Pakistan's two ex-Prime Ministers, Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif have also expressed grief and shock over the demise of the UAE President.

In their separate messages, the two former Premiers said that in the death of Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Pakistan has lost a great friend and well-wisher. His death is a great tragedy for the entire Muslim Ummah, the two leaders observed.

The Sketch

Shaikh Zayed was born in 1918 the youngest of four sons of Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and named after his grandfather, Shaikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who has the longest reign in the emirate’s history, ruling Abu Dhabi from 1855 to 1909. His grandfather was also known as “Zayed The Great” and “Zayed the First”, and had played a large role in forging unity between the tribes of Oman and leading the Bani Yas tribe.

Shaikh Zayed’s father, Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruled Abu Dhabi between 1922 and 1926. Then Zayed’s uncle, Shaikh Saqr bin Zayed Al Nayhan, reigned followed by Shaikh Zayed’s eldest brother, Shaikh Shakhbut in 1928.
After his father died in 1927, Zayed moved to the oasis of Al Ain, approximately 160 kilometres east of the island of Abu Dhabi, where he spent the rest of his youth. There he underwent religious education, and learned the Holy Quran and was deeply moved by the biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

At the time Shaikh Zayed was born, the Emirates was poor and undeveloped with an economy primary based on fishing and pearl diving. His life even as a young member of a ruling family was simple. His education was based on studying the instructions and the principles of Islam from the local preacher. His transportation was either on camels or boats.

From 1920 to 1930, Zayed sought knowledge that made him go out in the desert with the bedu tribesmen to learn all he could about the way of life the people and the environment in which they lived. In 1946, he was chosen as the ruler's representative in Al Ain, he was greeted with widespread approval by the people who were already familiar with Zayed and his commitment to improving their lives.

At that time, the seven emirates, known then as the seven Trucial States, had been under British influence since 1820. Abu Dhabi was poor and undeveloped and its economy was based upon fishing and pearl diving along the coast. The economy suffered when the market for Gulf pearls collapsed in the 1930s after Japanese scientists invented the cultured pearl. At this point, the first oil company teams came to carry out geological surveys and Zayed was appointed to guide them around the desert.

In 1953 Shaikh Zayed along with his elder brother Shaikh Shakhbut travelled to Europe to appear at a legal hearing on an oil dispute. They also travelled to the United States, Switzerland, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, India, Iran, and Pakistan.

On his return, Shaikh Zayed was convinced that it was urgent to develop the area in order to bridge the large gap between it and the rest of the world.When oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958, economic matters began to improve. The first commercial field entered production in 1962 from the offshore Umm Shaif field, and then from onshore at Bab. On August 6, 1966, Shaikh Shakhbut gave control of Abu Dhabi to his younger brother.

After assuming rulership, Shaikh Zayed introduced a formal government structure, with departments developed to handle specific tasks. Priority was given to build basic housing facilities, schools, health services, and the construction of an airport, a sea port, roads, and a bridge to link Abu Dhabi to the mainland.

Financial resources were spent for the planting of trees in Al Ain in order to transform Abu Dhabi into a green city. Funding was also spent for the creation of a zoo in Al Ain in 1967.

When Britain announced in January 1968 that it would withdraw its military presence in the Gulf, Shaikh Zayed was the first statesman to call for a union. Zayed realised that for Abu Dhabi to prosper, it would need to co-operate with its tribal neighbours. So his first step was to meet with the then ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoom.

The two held meetings on the 19th of February 1968 at Samih and discussed border disputes. This was followed by the signing of an agreement on the 27th of February 1968, which would form a federation of nine emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Bahrain, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Qatar and Umm Al Quwain). Unfortunately they had many setbacks as Zayed tried for three years to bring things together. Bahrain and Qatar wanted to seek full independence and Ras Al Khaimah also declined to join.

On the 2nd of December 1971, a federation of six emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain) formed the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Shaikh Zayed was elected President and Shaikh Rashid was elected Vice-president. Shortly afterwards, Ras Al Khaimah decided to join the federation, which officially took place on the 11th of February of 1972.

Shaikh Zayed was re-elected as president at five-year intervals by the Supreme Council Members, who are ruling members of each of the seven emirates. Shaikh Rashid was re-elected vice-president until he died in 1990, at which time his son, Shaikh Maktoum, took his father's place.

Shaikh Zayed continued to utilise the oil revenues of Abu Dhabi to fund projects throughout the UAE. Shaikh Zayed also played a major role in the formation of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC), which officially started in Abu Dhabi in 1981.●