Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1972-) is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. He is the sixteenth son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his mother is Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi. He holds a BA in Political Science from the United Arab Emirates University in 1995.
Political life and positions:
He was appointed by a federal decree on April 16, 1995, as Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Culture, and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the State issued a federal decree on March 14, 1997, appointing him as Minister of Information and Culture.
And Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State issued a federal decree on February 9, 2006, appointing him as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Heholds the positions of Chairman of the National Media Council, member of the Standing Committee on Borders, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Fund, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Foundation, and he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Media Council (2006-2008).
Work in the Ministry of Information and Culture:
He has extensive external activities, including his visit to the Palestinian territories three times to inaugurate the Sheikh Zayed City in Gaza and the inauguration of the Sheikh Khalifa City in Rafah. About three years ago, he inaugurated a mine-clearing project in southern Lebanon with Emirati funding of $50 million and represented the UAE in many international forums, most notably on the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, where he delivered the UAE's speech. He had a prominent role after the events of 9/11 in clarifying the Arab position on these events, especially for the American media.
He also has many famous stances and statements, including his criticism of a suicide attack in Rishon LeZion near Tel Aviv because of the extent of the damage that the timing of this operation has caused to the Palestinian interest, and the Arab efforts to modify the American position on the Arab-Israeli conflict and to increase the US administration’s involvement in peace efforts. also criticized In the Arab summit that preceded the American occupation of Iraq, the Arab countries had thwarted Sheikh Zayed's initiative, which was based on asking Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down and leave Iraq with his family, with guarantees that he would not be attacked. He said at the time, "The UAE initiative I say with regret, and my heart is full of pain, and it is said that people will remember the initiative after Iraq is desecrated, after the entry of US forces into Iraq, and after we see an American rule over Iraq."
On the level of internal media issues, he was known for his advocacy of a new law for more open publications. He said in one of the Federal National Council sessions that he "fears if the Publications Law were reviewed, that the amended law would restrict freedoms more than the current law is, And more severe in its judgments on journalists.” In response once to what was reported that his ministry prevented a group of Emirati writers from writing in the local media, including, as they mentioned, some university professors such as Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Al-Roken and Dr. Abdul Razzaq Faris, he challenged before the Federal National Council any media organization that has instructions in this regard from the Ministry media and culture,
He also challenged that there be any contact from the Ministry of Information with any press or media institution to prevent dealing with the writers referred to. At the time, he clearly said, "There was absolutely no intervention from the Ministry of Information to ban the book, but if there are personal differences between these and institutions, the ministry cannot interfere in this matter."
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