House of Nahyan Ascension in Abu Dhabi's Power Structure

The governing administrative structure in the UAE has undergone notable changes, with one of the most significant developments being the rise of a new guard from the Al Nahyan family to key positions in the police, royal court, and military.

The sons of the late Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan, one of the most influential advisors to the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed, have steadily ascended the ranks in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, becoming active in the most strategic sectors of the Emirates.

Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan had ten sons, but the most prominent among them are Mohammed, Zayed, Khalifa, Theyab, Hazza, Mansoor, and Saeed.

House of Tahnoon

The promotion of Mohammed bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan (47) to the position of Director of Abu Dhabi Police on January 2, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the rise of the late Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan’s sons within the Emirates’ power structure.

With his recent appointment, Mohammed is not the only one climbing the ranks of authority in Abu Dhabi; he is also playing a pivotal role in helping his brothers secure high-ranking positions.

Their prominent standing in the ruling circles is rooted in the crucial role their father played in assisting Sheikh Zayed’s rise to power in 1966 and in the creation of the UAE in 1971.

In 2006, Mohammed bin Tahnoon married Mariam bint Mohammed bin Zayed, the youngest sister of the crown prince and an advisor at the presidential court with ministerial rank.

In addition to his new role in the police, Mohammed bin Tahnoon follows in the footsteps of many of his brothers in building a vast business network through his conglomerate, Bold Holding, which has formed partnerships with Chinese giant Huawei, among other ventures.

Since September 2023, his younger brother, Khalifa bin Tahnoon, has served as head of the Crown Prince’s Court of Abu Dhabi, Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, the eldest son of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed.

Khalifa is viewed as the right-hand man of the crown prince, having spent time at Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, led by the close financial advisor to Mohammed bin Zayed, Khaldoon al Mubarak.

Before his promotion, Khalifa was responsible for the welfare of families of Emirati soldiers killed in battles (the UAE has been involved in military conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia) under the office of President Mohamed bin Zayed when he was still crown prince.

Khalifa has long been involved in Abu Dhabi’s most strategic affairs, with responsibilities that extended far beyond his formal title.

The Right Hand

Khalifa bin Tahnoon is currently deeply involved in all matters overseen by Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, including the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and the national oil company ADNOC.

He has also played a key role in arranging official visits for the crown prince, such as those to Norway and Qatar in October and Bahrain in November 2024.

Khalifa was instrumental in the 2020 defense partnership between the UAE and Greece, a deal that coincided with rising tensions between the UAE and Turkiye. 

At the time, Abu Dhabi sent four F-16 fighter jets to the Souda Bay Air Base on the island of Crete.

In addition, he supervised the establishment of a training program for young Emirati students at the Greek military.

Khalifa also oversees compensation for potential sales of equipment developed by the Abu Dhabi-based defense group EDGE, a project overseen by Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, and closely followed by Khalifa.

Meanwhile, Mohammed bin Tahnoon, Khalifa’s brother, handles Abu Dhabi’s relations with Greece. 

His company, Bold Holding, owns the real estate firm Beachfront Property, which specializes in the Greek real estate market, along with the lucrative golden visa scheme it offers. 

This visa allows non-EU nationals to access a five-year Schengen visa in exchange for a real estate investment of $250,000 in Greece.

Also prominent is Ahmed bin Tahnoon, another of Mohammed's brothers, who is well-versed in the defense relations between Athens and Abu Dhabi. 

Since February 2023, he has served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces.

In May 2023, a few months after his appointment, Ahmed traveled to Athens to attend the graduation ceremony for the first Emirati soldiers sent to Greece for training under the bilateral defense agreement.

After graduating from the British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Ahmed began his military career commanding Emirati Apache helicopters before moving on to special forces. 

In 2017, he became the first head of the newly established Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority, tasked with safeguarding Abu Dhabi’s strategic infrastructure, including its ports and airports.

Regarded as the second most powerful man in the military, Ahmed plays a leadership role in identifying the military's equipment needs, which the crown prince, Khaled bin Mohammed, is keen to see developed domestically.

Different Paths

Then there is Mansoor bin Tahnoon, the brother of Khalifa and Mohammed, who chose not to pursue a military career.

A trained doctor by profession, he initially served as a pilot in the UAE military and rose to the rank of major, but decided to shift focus to teaching political science.

Mansoor was part of the United Nations delegation to Pakistan and Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, and he has written several books on Pakistan, including one published in 2019 titled Tribes of Pakistan, co-authored with a senior veteran of the Pakistan Air Force.

As an advisor for special affairs to Mohammed bin Zayed, Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, the nephew of the two brothers, is particularly close to the UAE president.

The son of Hamad bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan, he previously headed the UAE industrial investment company General Industries Corporation, which has since been rebranded as Senaat.

The company was later acquired by the Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ, chaired by the UAE’s National Security Advisor, Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan.

Similar to his uncle, Mohammed bin Tahnoon, Mohammed bin Hamad married one of the daughters of the UAE president, Shamsa bint Mohammed bin Zayed.

In 2019, he was appointed to head the Abu Dhabi Airports Authority, which manages the ruling family's aviation sector, overseeing the completion of the new Abu Dhabi airport, finalized in 2023.

He has adapted to the growing influence of Tahnoon bin Zayed over the Emirates’ strategic assets.

Enter Theyab bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan, who manages the family's business interests. 

In his youth, he oversaw his father’s private cabinet and the family’s TKM Group, which invested the family’s wealth in assets, making him a well-known figure in the UAE’s business circles.

In August 2024, Diab was appointed chairman of Drex & Skel, a Dubai-listed construction company, tasked with rescuing it from the brink of bankruptcy.

The influential company had secured a $48 million contract from a division of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to expand sewage treatment capacity in the Eastern Province’s Al Khobar.

In recent years, Theyab has also taken on increasing roles in the boards of Abu Dhabi-listed companies, including vice-chairmanship of the National Insurance Company of Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of the Mubadala Investment Company, which is a major shareholder.

Additionally, Theyab chairs Gulf Navigation Holding, a shipping and oil storage firm, which, in September 2024, agreed to acquire Brooj Energy’s assets in a deal still under review by local financial authorities.

Brooj Energy, based in the Cayman Islands, is facing financial difficulties but owns significant oil and gas storage capacity in the Emirate of Fujairah, one of ADNOC’s main storage and export hubs, and the world’s fourth-largest refueling port.

Saeed Bin Tahnoon 

Theyab and Mohammed, the sons of Tahnoon, are not the only members of the family to have succeeded in the investment market.

Saeed Bin Tahnoon, the founder of Al Ain Water, has seen more mixed results, with his company joining the portfolio of the Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ.

A former member of Abu Dhabi's Executive Council, Saif still holds significant influence in the emirate of Al Ain, located on the border with Oman.

Through his Abu Dhabi Business Development (ADBD) company, a subsidiary of the British East Street Investment headed by his Syrian advisor Tahnoon Nimer, Saif bin Tahnoon made an attempt in 2020 to acquire the London-based Charlton Athletic football club, currently playing in the English third division.

To complete the deal, Tahnoon Nimer worked notably with Jonathan Heller, the former Secretary-General of Foratom (now known as Nuclear Europe), the EU's main nuclear energy lobby. 

However, the English Football League ultimately rejected Tahnoon Nimer’s offer after he failed to pass the required due diligence tests, leading to disputes among the participants in the failed acquisition process.

Unlike most of his brothers, the publicly visible activities of Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, the former member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, have significantly waned.

He no longer holds the position of head of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport, which had made him the de facto CEO of Etihad Airways, nor does he serve as chairman of the emirate's Tourism Development and Environmental agencies, both of which are now managed by Khaldoon Al Mubarak and his associates.

Nevertheless, Sultan plays a role in Emirati humanitarian efforts through the Frontline Heroes office, established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is also a partner in the venture capital firm Aramis Partners, which he founded in 2015 with former Deutsche Bank CEO for the UAE, Nadeem Masoud.

Additionally, Sultan and his wife, Dima bint Zayed, the sister of President Mohammed bin Zayed, are listed as investors in the Korvaz Tourism travel agency, which organizes pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia from Turkiye.

Zayed and Hazza

As for the brothers Zayed and Hazza, the sons of Tahnoon, their roles primarily involve public relations and key duties in the emirate of Al Ain.

Though far less prominent, their work in maintaining the ruling family's ties in their historic stronghold has proven essential to preserving the strong backing of the nation's leadership.

Like their brothers, Zayed and Hazza were seen alongside many of the president's siblings at the condolence event for their father at the Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi on May 3, 2024.

The occasion was also attended by the European Union’s ambassador to the Gulf, former Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

On January 15, 2025, Intelligence Online, a French publication specializing in intelligence matters, released a report detailing the emerging political and business network in Abu Dhabi, led by the young faces of the Al Nahyan family.

The magazine noted, "The sons of the late Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, one of the most influential advisers of UAE founder Sheikh Zayed, are moving up the ranks in Abu Dhabi. Members of this non-governing branch of the family close to the crown prince are active in the emirate's most strategic sovereign affairs."

"They currently hold positions such as Director General of Police, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, Head of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's Court, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports.”

"In this way, the sons of the late Tahnoon bin Mohammed al Nahyan moved into positions of power, with this branch of descendants from Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan—who passed away in 1979—working closely with the current rulers," the report continued.

"This follows a historical choice by their father to support the founding father of the UAE, rather than competing for the throne."

"In the context of Mohamed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan’s promotion to Director General of Abu Dhabi Police, alongside his expansion of a private business network through his Bold Holding group, this has positively reflected on the commercial endeavors of this rising branch of the al Nahyan family," the report concluded.