Khalifa Bin Zayed – President of the UAE and Hawk Tamer Who Was Released by Death From the Grip of His Brothers

After years of illness, disappearance, controversy, and speculation, on May 13, 2022, the President of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, died at the age of 73, after a struggle with illness and conspiracies.

As he witnessed the beginnings of the establishment of the state, accompanied by his founding father, Zayed bin Sultan, and in his capacity as the second president of the country, Khalifa bin Zayed's ere in power was difficult, wracked by waves of brothers and rivals.

 

Beginning of His Career

On September 7, 1948, Khalifa bin Zayed was born in the castle Qasr al-Muwaiji in the city of al-Ain, the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which was ruled by his father at the time.

Khalifa was the eldest son of Zayed, and his mother was Hessa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, the first wife of Zayed; other than his second wife, Fatima bint Mubarak al-Ketbi, the mother of Mohammed, Tahnoun, and Abdullah, who are the half-brothers of the Khalifa.

In the Emirate of al-Ain, Khalifa lived with his family and companions from the sons of the sheikhs of the Bani Yas tribes, where he received his education at the Al Nahyaneia School that was established by his father.

In August 1966, Zayed became the ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and his son Khalifa (18 years old at the time) was appointed as his deputy in the Eastern Province and head of the courts there, and this was his first responsibility.

The second move for the eldest son came in February 1969, when he was appointed Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

On December 02, 1971, the establishment of the United Arab Emirates was officially announced, and Zayed was the first president of the state, while Khalifa was the first prime minister, with responsibility for the finance portfolio, and then the Defense Department, which formed the first nucleus of the UAE armed forces.

In May 1976, Khalifa became Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, after the historic decision of the Federal Supreme Council to merge the armed forces under one command and one flag.

 

Hawk Tamer

On the level of the private life of Khalifa, he is married to Shamsa bint Suhail al-Mazrouei, with whom he has Sultan and Mohammed.

He was known for his fondness for a large number of hobbies, top of which is fishing.

He was also skilled in the style of hunting by hawks, which he inherited from his father, as he used to go out on long trips, especially hunting by hawks in the desert.

Out of his love for hunting, he launched a program to sponsor projects to preserve the natural environment in the hunting areas, foremost of which is liberating hawks by returning them to their natural environment at the end of each hunting season, and he ordered the multiplication of bustards (which are the preferred prey of hawks) and their release into the wild.

Moreover, he sponsored special scientific research, including the movement and migrations of birds and hawks using space technologies.

He also owned one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world, which was made by the German company Lürssen, which was called Azzam.

On August 15, 2013, The Times ranked him among the 25 most influential leaders in the world, and ranked him as the fourth richest king in the world, with a fortune exceeding billions of dollars.

On August 7, 2020, the Malaysian Sarawak Report website revealed shocking details, accusing Mohammed bin Zayed and his brother Mansour of looting their brother Khalifa's fortune.

“This was stated during the case taking place in the High Court in London, which also stated that Khalifa may not suffer from any mental disability,” the website said in its report.

The report, which has gained international popularity and has been translated into several languages, added that “Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto responsible for the oil-rich Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and his younger brother Mansour, the famous owner of the English football club Manchester City, together control the UAE's sovereign wealth fund, with assets of about $100 billion, and both are members of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority’s board of directors.

“The main reason for controlling and plundering Khalifa's wealth is that Mohammed bin Zayed when he eventually assumed the position of the new President of the UAE, sought to have all this wealth under his control, rather than distributing it to the sons of Khalifa and his family,” the website indicated.

 

Isolation and Appearance

November 02, 2004, this date was a difference in the history of the UAE, with the death of its founder Zayed, after 38 years of rule.

Subsequently, the eldest son (Khalifa) took over the reins of rule, hoping to follow in his father's footsteps.

But the rise of Khalifa was fraught with danger, amid brothers who were like enemies, as they were on the lookout for his rule, especially as he was from the first wife of their father, while they were from the second wife of their father.

In 2005, Khalifa launched a comprehensive infrastructure project for the state at a cost of 16 billion dirhams (about $4,356 billion), and as a result, the UAE witnessed a huge construction renaissance.

The situation did not last long, as Khalifa with his many features, the most important of which is calm, his love for history and poetry, and his keenness to hold councils of poets and writers, the process of his rule continued naturally until January 24, 2014, when he disappeared from view, amid reports of the deterioration of his health, and suffering a stroke.

The question that has persisted since then, and which has been addressed by international media, has been a disease or a coup?

Over the following years, until his death, Khalifa appeared only a few times.

On June 25, 2017, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, Khalifa's first official appearance came after his 2014 illness was announced.

The second appearance was on January 29, 2018, to receive condolences on the death of his mother.

The third appearance was on June 09, 2018, at his residence in France, together with members of his family.

At that time, questions spread about the health status and the ability of Khalifa to rule the state, and that his illness was not of the degree that prevented him from practicing his work.

Then, the fourth appearance was on May 08, 2019, while receiving the members of the Supreme Council of the Union of Rulers of the UAE.

The last and most controversial appearance of the ruler of the UAE came on February 20, 2020, when he, accompanied by Mohammed bin Zayed and the sheikhs, went on a tour of the Ghanada protected forest.

At that time, he seemed very tired and lack of focus, and opponents of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi said, “President Khalifa often does not realize what is happening around him, and that the appearance was political and for other purposes wanted by bin Zayed, who was the only ruler of the state, and became its most powerful man, while the president became ill and isolated inside his distant palace, until his death at last.”