Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan^[a] (born 11 March 1961), also known as MBZ or MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who has served as the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022 and was from 2014 until 2022 the de factoleader of the United Arab Emirates.^[11][12]

Mohamed completed his education in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1979.^[13] He joined the UAE Armed Forces, and held various posts, before becoming a pilot in the UAE Air Force; he was promoted to general in 2005.^[13]

Mohamed is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE and 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi.^[14][15] Mohamed became the crown prince of Abu Dhabi in 2004, following the death of his father, when his brother, Sheikh Khalifa, became the second president of the UAE, and the ruler of Abu Dhabi.^[16] In 2014, Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke, and Mohamed became the de facto leader of the UAE.^[15] Mohamed officially became president of the UAE, and ruler of Abu Dhabi, after being chosen by the UAE Supreme Council, following the death of his brother in May 2022.^[14] In March 2023, Mohamed appointed his son Sheikh Khalid, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and his successor.^{[17][18][19][20]}

Scholars characterize the UAE under Mohamed as an authoritarian capitalist country,^[21][22] and a rentier state.^[21][23] In 2019, The New York Times named Mohamed as the most powerful Arab ruler,^[24] and he was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019 by Time magazine.^[25][26] He is an opponent of the Muslim Brotherhood,^[27][28]Iran, and its proxies in the Middle East.^[24] Since becoming de facto leader, the UAE participated in the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the Syrian civil war, and was part of the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war, until Mohamed disagreed with Saudi Arabia's support of Al-Islah, a Yemeni party connected with the Muslim Brotherhood, but he has maintained his support of the Southern Transitional Council.^[29] Mohamed has been the main backer of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese civil war. He fell out with the Obama administration on the Iran nuclear deal, and supported US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.^[30][31] The UAE was a leading party in the Qatar diplomatic crisis, in which the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other Arab countries severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, based on accusations that Qatar supports the Muslim Brotherhood and off-shoot organizations.^[32] Mohamed maintained a close relationship with US President Donald Trump, with reports suggesting Mohamed was pushing Trump to take a tougher stance on Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.^[32] In 2020, the UAE, alongside Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, signed the Abraham Accords, an agreement to normalize diplomatic relationship with Israel, brokered by Trump.^[33] The UAE has been involved in an economic rivalry with Saudi Arabia,^[34] and opposed Saudi efforts for OPEC+ production cuts.^[35][36]

Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born at Oasis Hospital in Al Ain on 11 March 1961,^[37][38] in what was then known as the Trucial States.^[39][40][41]

He is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who became the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates and the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, and his third wife, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi.^[42][43]

Mohamed has 18 brothers: Hamdan, Hazza, Issa, Nahyan, Saif, Tahnoun, Hamed, Mansour, Falah, Theyab, Abdullah, Omar, Khalid, the late Khalifa, the late Sultan, the late Saeed, the late Nasser, and the late Ahmed. In addition to these, he has eleven sisters.^[44]

He has five younger full brothers: Hamdan, Hazza, Tahnoun, Mansour, and Abdullah. They are referred to as Bani Fatima (the sons of Fatima).^[45][21]

Mohamed attended schools in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi until the age of 18. He also spent a summer at Gordonstoun in Scotland. In his youth, his father put Izzedine Ibrahim, a respected Egyptian Islamic scholar with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, in charge of his education.^[46][47]

Mohammed later joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in April 1979.^[13] While there, he completed a fundamental armor course, a fundamental flying course, a parachutist course, and training on tactical planes and helicopters, including the Gazelle squadron.^[44] During his time in Sandhurst, he also met and became good friends with fellow officer cadet Abdullah of Pahang, who would later become the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia.^[48]

In the 1980s, as a young military officer, he enjoyed vacationing in Tanzania, where he met the Masai people and saw their customs and the extent of poverty in the country. Upon his return he went to see his father. His father asked him what he had done to help the people he had encountered. Mohamed shrugged and said he had not helped them because the people he met were not Muslims. Mohamed said that his father "clutched my arm, and looked into my eyes very harshly. He said, 'We are all God's creatures.'"^[46]

He has held a number of roles in the UAE military, from that of an officer in the Amiri Guard (now called Presidential Guard) to a pilot in the UAE Air Force.^[13]

In November 2003, Sheikh Zayed appointed his son Mohamed as deputy crown prince of Abu Dhabi.^[49][50] Upon the death of his father, Mohamed became crown prince of Abu Dhabi in November 2004 and was appointed deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces in January 2005.^[16] Later that month, he was promoted to the rank of general. Since December 2004 he has also been the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, which is responsible for the development and planning of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is a member of the Supreme Petroleum Council.^[51] He also served as a special adviser to his older half-brother, Khalifa bin Zayed, president of the UAE at the time.

Como resultado de la mala salud del jeque Khalifa, ^{[ 52 ]} Mohamed se convirtió en el gobernante de facto de Abu Dabi en enero de 2014 y fue responsable de dar la bienvenida a los dignatarios extranjeros en el distrito capital de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos en la ciudad de Abu Dabi. ^{[ 53 ] [ 54 ] [ 55 ]} El 13 de mayo de 2022, se convirtió en gobernante de Abu Dabi, tras la muerte de su hermano Khalifa. ^{[ 56 ]} El 14 de mayo de 2022, fue elegido presidente de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos. ^{[ 57 ]}

En 2018, Mohamed viajó a Etiopía para reunirse con el primer ministro Abiy Ahmed , antes del primer desembolso de una donación de 3 mil millones de dólares de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos a Etiopía , destinada a paliar su escasez de divisas. Gracias al apoyo e iniciativa de Mohamed, los Emiratos Árabes Unidos recaudaron fondos para brindar ayuda a Somalia durante períodos de sequía. ^{[ 58 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ]}

Mohamed es partidario del gobierno de Yemen reconocido internacionalmente , tras la guerra civil yemení, y apoyó la intervención liderada por Arabia Saudí en Yemen para expulsar a los militantes hutíes respaldados por Irán tras la toma del poder por parte de los hutíes en Yemen . ^{[ 61 ]} Durante la visita de Mohamed a Francia en 2018, un grupo de activistas de derechos humanos presentó una demanda contra el príncipe heredero, acusándolo de ser un "criminal de guerra" que fue "cómplice de la tortura y el trato inhumano en Yemen". La denuncia presentada en nombre del grupo francés de derechos humanos AIDL decía: "Es en esta calidad que ha ordenado bombardeos en territorio yemení". ^{[ 62 ]}

Mohamed's foreign policy was characterized by supporting secessionist movements and fueling fragmentation across various countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. A result of his opposition to the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, this approach assists the UAE's plans to avoid external threat, silence dissent, exercise influence and secure its interests. MbZ has actively encouraged factions that undermine central governments, including Khalifa Haftar in Libya, the Southern Movement in Yemen, and Hemedti in Sudan, rather than backing the unified states.^[63]

Mohamed regards the United States as his chief ally and has a strong relationship with United States government officials including former US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and former US national security advisor and counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke. As unpaid advisers, Mohamed consults them and follows their advice on combating terrorism and enhancing the UAE's military strength and intelligence. Mohamed had an initially good relationship with the Obama administration but the relationship deteriorated when Barack Obama did not consult with or inform the UAE about its Iran nuclear deal. A further breakdown in relations was caused over their different positions on the Syrian civil war. According to an Emirati senior adviser, "His Highness felt that the UAE had made sacrifices and then been excluded." However, Mohamed continued talking to Obama regularly and offered him advice. Mohamed warned Obama that his proposed remedy for Syria — the Free Syrian Army rebels who were allied to Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood — would be worse than the regime of Bashar al-Assad. He also urged Obama to talk to the Russians about working together on Syria, and supported the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war. The relationship deteriorated further when Obama made dismissive comments in a 2016 interview in The Atlantic, describing the gulf's rulers as "free riders" who "do not have the ability to put out the flames on their own". After the election of Donald Trump, Mohamed flew to New York to meet the president-elect's team and canceled a parting lunch with Obama.^[46][64]

Mohamed shared similar ideas with President Trump regarding Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, as Trump has sought to move strongly against both.^[24] When Mohamed was a child, his father Sheikh Zayed unknowingly assigned a respected Muslim Brotherhood member, Ezzedine Ibrahim, as Mohamed's tutor. His tutor attempted an indoctrination that backfired. "I am an Arab, I am a Muslim and I pray. And in the 1970s and early 1980s I was one of them," Mohamed told visiting American diplomats in 2007 to explain his distrust of the Muslim Brotherhood, as they reported in a classified cable released by WikiLeaks. He stated, "I strongly believe these guys have an agenda."^[24] Trump also shared Mohamed's views on Qatar, Libya and Saudi Arabia, even over the advice of cabinet officials and senior national security staff.^[65] In August 2020, Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed jointly announced the establishment of formal Israeli–Emirati relations.^[66]

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Al Nahyan refused to take phone calls with US President Joe Biden (at a time when Biden was asking for greater oil production from Saudi Arabia and the UAE) due to his criticism of Biden's policy in the Gulf.^[67]

In September 2024, Mohamed bin Zayed visited the United States, the first ever visit of an Emirati President to the White House. Mohamed met President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris separately, discussing future bilateral economic and technological relations.^[68] Ahead of Mohamed's visit to Washington, certain US lawmakers also sent a letter to Biden, asking him to discuss with Mohamed the ongoing crisis in Sudan, and stating that the UAE's backing of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan could hinder Biden's efforts to end the conflict.^[69]

In 2024, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Sheikh Mohamed significantly deepened bilateral relations through direct meetings and high-level diplomatic engagement.^[70] In December 2024, Starmer conducted a high-profile visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to accelerate negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.^[71]

In late 2025, Starmer's government faced intensifying parliamentary and public pressure to suspend arms sales to the UAE following reports that British-made military equipment was being diverted to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.^[72][73]

On 22 March 2022, Sheikh Mohamed met with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Egypt. They discussed trilateral relations, Russo-Ukrainian War and the Iran nuclear deal.^[74][75]

Mohamed maintains a strong relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin, and has brokered talks between Russia and the Trump administration. In 2016, Mohamed was found involved in the Russian meddling of the US presidential elections, where his adviser George Nader arranged a meeting for him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Seychelles with US and Russian delegates, including Erik Prince and Kirill Dmitriev.^[76] Mohamed was named in the final report of special counsel Robert Mueller on the alleged collusion between Trump campaign and Russia, which the investigation later concluded that there was no collusion between the meeting that occurred with Mohamed.^[77] Mohamed's strong relationship with both Russia and the United States, as well as the influence he wields across both countries, has led The New York Times to label him as the Arab World's "most powerful ruler".^[24]

Putin llama a Mohamed un "viejo amigo" y "un gran amigo de nuestro país, un gran amigo de Rusia". Los dos líderes hablan por teléfono con regularidad. ^{[ 78 ]} En una visita oficial de Estado a los Emiratos, Putin le obsequió a Mohamed un halcón gerifalte ruso . Los Emiratos Árabes Unidos también entrenaron a los dos primeros astronautas emiratíes, Hazza Al Mansouri y Sultan Al Neyadi , y lanzaron con éxito al primer astronauta emiratí y árabe, Hazza Al Mansouri, a la Estación Espacial Internacional con ayuda rusa.

El 11 de octubre de 2022, el jeque Mohamed se reunió con Putin en San Petersburgo, días después de que la OPEP + recortara la producción de petróleo. ^{[ 79 ]}

En junio de 2023, el jeque Mohamed se reunió con Putin en el Foro Económico Internacional de San Petersburgo (SPIEF) y afirmó que los Emiratos Árabes Unidos deseaban fortalecer sus lazos con Rusia. Mohamed se convirtió en el asistente más destacado, ya que los EAU eran un país invitado especial del evento. Varios políticos e inversores importantes de Estados Unidos y Europa solían asistir al foro antes de la invasión rusa de Ucrania, pero las naciones occidentales estuvieron ausentes del evento en 2023. ^{[ 80 ]} El asesor diplomático de MbZ, Anwar Gargash, dijo que era un "riesgo calculado" que los EAU estaban dispuestos a asumir para lograr la desescalada en un mundo cada vez más polarizado. ^{[ 81 ]} Sin embargo, los EAU fueron criticados por apoyar la guerra de Rusia en Ucrania, ^{[ 82 ]} donde los Emiratos también actuaron como mediadores en el envío de armas chinas a Rusia. ^{[ 83 ]}

En agosto de 2021, Mohamed mantuvo conversaciones con el presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdoğan para discutir el fortalecimiento de las relaciones entre sus dos países. ^{[ 84 ]} Esto ocurrió después de años en que cada Estado apoyó a bandos opuestos en conflictos regionales, como el de Libia. ^{[ 84 ]} Las relaciones comenzaron a mejorar entre los dos rivales regionales —Emiratos Árabes Unidos y Turquía— tras la caída de Afganistán en manos de los talibanes y la retirada de las tropas estadounidenses. ^{[ 85 ]}

La política de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos en África se centró principalmente en tres categorías: comercial, estratégica y financiera. Bajo el liderazgo de Mohamed, las inversiones totales de los Emiratos en África aumentaron a 110 mil millones de dólares, mientras China reducía los préstamos al continente. En 2022 y 2023, los Emiratos también se comprometieron a invertir 97 mil millones de dólares en puertos, energías renovables, minería, agricultura, bienes raíces, comunicaciones y manufactura en África. En una década, los Emiratos Árabes Unidos mantuvieron una posición entre los cuatro principales inversores de África. La influencia emiratí en África también ha ido en aumento. Aunque Dubái se negó a extraditar a los hermanos Gupta , acusados ​​por las autoridades de saquear Sudáfrica, Mohamed fue recibido en el país. Mohamed también donó alrededor de un millón de dólares para mejorar una pista de un aeropuerto en la provincia de Cabo Oriental . En abril de 2023, Mohamed, su familia y amigos viajaron a Cabo Oriental para alojarse en su complejo turístico privado y celebrar el Eid. La presencia de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos también se hizo notar en guerras, incluyendo las de Libia , Etiopía y Sudán . En Etiopía, los Emiratos proporcionaron apoyo militar al gobierno en la guerra contra las fuerzas de Tigray . En 2019 y 2020, las acciones de los EAU en la guerra de Libia fueron controvertidas, ya que apoyaron al caudillo libio Khalifa Haftar . En Sudán, los EAU fueron acusados ​​de alimentar la guerra al apoyar a las Fuerzas de Apoyo Rápido de Hemedti , lo cual los Emiratos han negado repetidamente. ^{[ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ]} Los líderes africanos acogieron con creciente beneplácito las inversiones de los EAU, que ofrecieron un impulso financiero al sector de la energía verde en África. Entre 2019 y 2023, las inversiones emiratíes en energía renovable ascendieron a 72 mil millones de dólares. Sin embargo, los crecientes compromisos de los EAU con la financiación climática en África fueron cuestionados por activistas y analistas. Estos expresaron su preocupación por el historial de derechos humanos de los EAU, el trato a los trabajadores migrantes, el apoyo a los hidrocarburos y su incapacidad para abordar los problemas ambientales. ^{[ 89 ]}

Durante la guerra civil sudanesa que estalló en 2023 entre las Fuerzas Armadas Sudanesas y su antiguo brazo paramilitar, las Fuerzas de Apoyo Rápido (RSF), los EAU proporcionaron armas de forma encubierta a las RSF, ^{[ 90 ]} que han perpetrado crímenes masivos contra la humanidad en Sudán, incluyendo violencia sexual a gran escala, asesinatos indiscriminados y limpieza étnica . ^{[ 90 ] [ 91 ]} Los EAU utilizaron la cobertura de esfuerzos de ayuda humanitaria bajo los auspicios de la Media Luna Roja para enviar las armas a las RSF, incluyendo potentes drones, obuses , lanzacohetes múltiples y misiles antiaéreos , ^{[ 92 ]} y son considerados el aliado extranjero más importante de las RSF y de su líder Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (conocido como Hemeti). ^{[ 93 ]} Aunque los EAU niegan oficialmente armar a cualquiera de los combatientes en el conflicto de Sudán, ^{[ 92 ] [ 93 ]} Según informes, funcionarios emiratíes hicieron un reconocimiento implícito del apoyo del país a Hemeti después de ser confrontados por funcionarios estadounidenses. ^{[ 92 ]} Grupos como Refugees International han criticado a MBZ por su apoyo a RSF. ^{[ 91 ]}

Bajo el mandato de Mohamed, los EAU construyeron la central nuclear de Barakah , la primera de su tipo en la Península Arábiga. ^{[ 94 ]} Los EAU y Estados Unidos firmaron un acuerdo bilateral de cooperación nuclear pacífica que refuerza los estándares internacionales de no proliferación nuclear. ^{[ 95 ]} Mohamed asistió a las Cumbres de Seguridad Nuclear de 2012 ^{[ 96 ]} y 2014 , organizadas por Corea del Sur y los Países Bajos, respectivamente. ^{[ 97 ]}

Islam is the official religion of the UAE, and there are laws against blasphemy, proselytizing by non-Muslims, and conversions away from Islam. The constitution of the UAE guarantees freedom of worship, unless it contradicts "public policy or morals".^[98] The UAE government tightly controls, and monitors, Muslim practices.^[28] A government permit is required to hold a Quran lecture, or distribute content related to Islam, in an effort to combat decentralized preaching from Islamist groups. All imams must receive their salaries from the UAE government.^[28]

Mohamed visited Pope Francis in 2016, and in February 2019, he welcomed Francis to the UAE, marking the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula. Pope Francis's arrival coincided with a conference entitled "Global Conference of Human Fraternity". The conference featured talks and workshops about how to foster religious tolerance. As part of this visit, Pope Francis held the first Papal Mass to be celebrated in the Arabian Peninsula, at Zayed Sports City, in which 180,000 worshippers from 100 countries, including 4,000 Muslims, were present.^{[99][100][101]}

Over the course of the last years, the UAE has seen the rise of the Indian population and Hindu advocacy. The government has allowed the building of several privately funded Hindu temples and the screening of the film The Kashmir Files.^{[102][103][104]}

Political scientists have characterized Mohamed bin Zayed as the strongman leader of an authoritarian regime,^[21][32][46] as there are no free and fair elections,^[105] political and civil rights are limited,^[106] free speech is restricted,^[106][107] and there are no free and independent media.^[105] According to the human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the UAE practices torture, arbitrary detention, and forced disappearance of citizens and residents.^[108][106]

Political scientist Christopher Davidson has characterized Mohamed's tenure as de facto UAE leader as entailing "a marked and rapid intensification of autocratic-authoritarianism."^[21] Democracy indicators show "recent and substantial efforts to tighten up almost all remaining political and civic freedoms."^[21] According to Andreas Krieg, Mohamed's political ideology holds that strongman authoritarianism is the optimal governance system for the UAE.^[21] Krieg writes:^[21]

"MbZ envisaged the creation of a new Middle Eastern state... Statecraft would be the prerogative of the autocratic, centralized ruler whose transactional relationship with his subordinates was supposed to be governed by both means of accommodation and repression. The ideal strongman, from MbZ's point of view, was in control of the security sector, both military and law enforcement, and governed over a society emancipated from religious conservatism and empowered by capitalist market structures... Abu Dhabi's paranoia over political dissidence was further fueled by the developments of the Arab Spring to which MbZ internally reacted by further curtailing the freedom of speech, thought and assembly in the country... MbZ's fierce state has moved against any civil society activism in the country outside state control."^[21]

Scholars have also characterized the UAE under Mohamed bin Zayed's regime as a rentier state.^[21]

He previously served as the head of Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Mubadala Development Company, Tawazun Economic Council, and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.^{[109][110][111][112]}

According to The Intercept and referencing the hacked emails of Yousef Al Otiaba, an American citizen Khaled Hassen received $10 million in 2013 for an alleged torture settlement after a lawsuit presented in the federal court in Los Angeles against three senior Abu Dhabi royals, including Mohamed bin Zayed.^[113]

En junio de 2018, Mohamed aprobó un paquete de estímulo económico de 50 mil millones de AED con una duración de tres años. También encargó una revisión de las normas de construcción con el fin de impulsar el desarrollo urbano. ^{[ 114 ]}

Mohamed es presidente del Consejo Supremo de Asuntos Financieros y Económicos. El consejo es el principal órgano rector de los asuntos financieros, de inversión, económicos, petroleros y de recursos naturales de Abu Dhabi. ^{[ 115 ]} También preside la Compañía Nacional de Petróleo de Abu Dhabi .

Mohamed sirvió como oficial en la Guardia Amiri (ahora conocida como Guardia Presidencial), como piloto en la Fuerza Aérea de los EAU, como comandante de la Fuerza Aérea y Defensa Aérea de los EAU, y como subjefe del Estado Mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas. En 2005, fue nombrado subcomandante supremo de las Fuerzas Armadas de los EAU y, en consecuencia, ascendió a teniente general. ^{[ 109 ] [ 44 ]}

A principios de la década de 1990, Mohamed le dijo a Richard Clarke, entonces subsecretario de Estado, que quería comprar el avión de combate F-16. Clarke respondió que seguramente se refería al F-16A, el modelo que el Pentágono vendía a los aliados estadounidenses. Mohamed dijo que, en cambio, quería un modelo más nuevo del que había leído en Aviation Week, con un avanzado sistema de radar y armamento. Clarke le dijo que ese modelo aún no existía; las fuerzas armadas no habían realizado la investigación y el desarrollo necesarios. Mohamed dijo que los Emiratos Árabes Unidos pagarían por la investigación y el desarrollo. Las negociaciones subsiguientes se prolongaron durante años y, según Clarke, "terminó con un F-16 mejor que el que tenía la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos". ^{[ 46 ]}

Mohamed made jujitsu compulsory in schools. In 2014, he established the military draft, conscripting young Emiratis to attend a year of boot camp, initially running a pilot project within his own family and making his own daughters run as the sample size by making them attend boot camp. He invited Maj. Gen. Mike Hindmarsh, the retired former head of Australia's Special Operations Command, to help reorganize the Emirati military. According to the New York Times, as a result of Mohamed's vision, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces became the best equipped and trained military in the region apart from Israel.^[46] Under Mohamed's leadership, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces also became commonly nicknamed as "Little Sparta" by United States Armed Forces General and former US defense secretary James Mattis as a result of their active and effective military role despite their small active personnel.^[116]

According to a 2020 study, Mohamed's reforms successfully increased the effectiveness of the UAE military.^[117]

On 17 July 2020, a French investigating magistrate was appointed to carry out the probe targeting Mohamed bin Zayed for "complicity in the use of torture", citing the UAE's involvement in the Yemen civil war.^[118] One of the two complaints was filed with the constitution of civil party by six Yemenis, who claimed to have been tortured, electrocuted and burned by cigarettes in Yemeni detention centres controlled by the UAE armed forces.^[119] A report by United Nations experts highlighted that the attacks of the Saudi-led coalition, of which the UAE is a member, may have constituted war crimes, and that the Emirati forces controlled two centres where torture has been carried out.^[120]

Following the 2018 French probe into the torture claims, France's top criminal court, the Court of Cassation, rejected in November 2022 attempts to reopen the investigation and rule that there were "no grounds to accept an appeal."^[121] In October 2021, Mohamed's name was featured alongside four other Emirati officials in an indictment of Thomas J. Barrack, former adviser of Donald Trump. In July 2021, Barrack was arrested by the American authorities for allegedly failing to register as a foreign lobbyist for the UAE, obstructing justice and lying to investigators.^[122] Later, his seven-count indictment identified names of three Emirati royals, who were hosts at Barrack's reception in December 2016. It included Mohamed bin Zayed, Tahnoun bin Zayed and director of the Emirati intelligence service, Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi. Two other UAE officials named in the indictment were Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli and Yousef Al Otaiba. Together, the officials were accused of giving Barrack the task to push the Emirati interests with the US.^[123] In 2022, Barrack was found not guilty on all charges.^[124]

On 17 July 2022, Mohamed visited France to meet President Emmanuel Macron. It was his first foreign travel since becoming the UAE president.^[125] However, a group of human rights organizations, including International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), and the Ligue des droits de l'Homme, wrote an open letter to President Macron, highlighting the human rights situation in the UAE. Drawing attention to the repressive dictatorship practiced in the Emirates, they urged Macron to raise the issue of severe human rights violations in the UAE with Mohamed during the meeting. The letter also asked Macron to end the arms supply to the UAE, in wake of the Yemen war.^[126]

En 2023, The New Yorker informó que Mohamed pagaba millones de euros a Alp Services, una empresa de investigación privada con sede en Suiza, para orquestar una campaña de desprestigio contra sus objetivos, incluidos Qatar y los Hermanos Musulmanes. Como parte de esta campaña, Alp publicó entradas falsas y difamatorias en Wikipedia y artículos de propaganda contra los objetivos. Se celebraron varias reuniones entre el director de Alp Services, Mario Brero , y un funcionario emiratí, Matar Humaid Al Neyadi. Sin embargo, las facturas de Alp se enviaban directamente a MbZ. La campaña de difamación también tenía como objetivo a un estadounidense, Hazim Nada, y a su empresa, Lord Energy, ^{[ 127 ]} hijo del veterano financiero de los Hermanos Musulmanes , Youssef Nada , y fundador del Banco Al Taqwa, que anteriormente figuraba en la lista de organizaciones terroristas de la ONU, elaborada por el Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos, por supuesta financiación de Al-Qaeda . Nada se había puesto en contacto con Abdul Rehman al-Blouki, un antiguo funcionario de seguridad cercano a MbZ, con la esperanza de llegar a un acuerdo económico. Sin embargo, Blouki le advirtió que no amenazara a los Emiratos. ^{[ 27 ]} La información se obtuvo a través de documentos confidenciales obtenidos mediante un hackeo a Alp Services. Se llevó a cabo una investigación, denominada Secretos de Abu Dhabi , sobre los documentos. Además, reveló que Mario Brero proporcionó a los EAU una lista de más de 1000 personas y 400 organizaciones en Europa, incluyendo más de 200 personas y 120 organizaciones en Francia, que fueron falsamente vinculadas al islam radical. ^{[ 128 ] [ 129 ] [ 130 ]} Una demanda contra la Universidad George Washington, su Programa sobre Extremismo y Lorenzo Vidino reveló su participación en rumores sobre un investigador académico radicado en Austria, Farid Hafez. Fue objetivo de la "Operación Luxor", que incluyó redadas e incautaciones de bienes. La demanda, que fue parte de la investigación de The New Yorker, declaró que Vidino reconoció que los EAU financiaron la operación a través de Alp Services. ^{[ 131 ] [ 132 ]}

A report by The Athletic referred to the 2020 unpublished judgement of the UEFA’s Club Financial Control Board (CFCB) as it disclosed that Mohamed bin Zayed's former key senior aide, Jaber Mohamed, facilitated sponsorship payments to the Emirati-owned Manchester City F.C. The payments made through Etisalat were disguised as equity funding and were under the Premier League's investigation over breach of UEFA's financial rules. Between 2005 and 2022, Jaber Mohamed served as the General Director of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court (CPC), which takes care of MbZ's public affairs. Another senior most aide to Sheikh Mohamed at the CPC, Mohamed Al Mazrouei, was also on Man City's board during the club's FFP violations. Citing the involvement of CPC, experts questioned whether MbZ was aware of the sponsorship payments and to what extent.^[133]

Mohamed has gifted AED 55 million to the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking,^[134] committed to raise US$100 million for the Reaching the Last Mile Fund,^[135] pledged US$50 million for children vaccine efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan,^{[136][137][138][139]} and contributed US$30 million to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.^{[140][141][142]} The University of Texas chair for scientific and medical knowledge in cancer research is named after Mohamed as a result of a funding grant to MD Anderson Cancer Center.^[143] He organizes the Zayed Charity Marathon in New York City since its inauguration in 2005. The race raises awareness about kidney disease, and the proceeds go to the US's National Kidney Foundation.^[144][145]

Mohamed bin Zayed has been involved in setting up art museums, such as Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017 and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2012, as well as cultural heritage sites such as Qasr Al Hosn.^{[146][147][148][149]}

Mohamed ha participado en esfuerzos para proteger a los halcones, avutardas y oryx árabes silvestres . Donó US$1 millón a una iniciativa destinada a prevenir la muerte de aves silvestres por atropellos, como parte del lanzamiento de la Fundación Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed para la Conservación de Rapaces, dotada con 20 millones de dólares. ^{[ 150 ]} Dirige el Fondo Mohamed bin Zayed para la Conservación de Especies . ^{[ 151 ] [ 152 ] [ 153 ]}

Una especie de lagarto de bosque — Enyalioides binzayedi — fue nombrada en honor a Mohamed, creador del Fondo de Conservación de Especies Mohamed bin Zayed, que brindó apoyo financiero a las expediciones que condujeron al descubrimiento de la especie en el Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul en Perú. ^{[ 154 ] [ 155 ]} En 2017, Acer binzayedii , una especie rara de arce que se encuentra en el bosque nuboso montañoso de Jalisco en el oeste de México, fue nombrada en su honor. ^{[ 156 ]}

Mohamed está casado con Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan . ^{[ 157 ]} Se casaron en 1980. ^{[ 158 ]} Tienen nueve hijos juntos, cuatro varones y cinco hijas. Tienen 22 nietos y 2 bisnietos juntos. ^{[ 13 ]}

• La jequesa Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Está casada con el jeque Mohammed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan. Tienen dos hijos:
  • Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacido el 28 de febrero de 2011)
  • Zayed bin Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacido el 14 de mayo de 2014)
• El jeque Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan (nacido el 8 de enero de 1982). Está casado con la jequesa Fatima bint Suroor Al Nahyan. Tienen cuatro hijos:
  • Shamma bint Khaled Al Nahyan (nacida el 10 de octubre de 2011)
  • Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan (nacido el 20 de diciembre de 2013)
  • Salama bint Khaled Al Nahyan (nacida el 20 de diciembre de 2013)
  • Zayed bin Khaled Al Nahyan (nacido el 11 de marzo de 2025)
• La jequesa Shamsa bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (nacida el 18 de junio de 1984). Está casada con el jeque Mohammed bin Hamad Al Nahyan. Tienen seis hijos:
  • Hessa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacida el 22 de mayo de 2003). Está casada con el jeque Zayed bin Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan. Tienen dos hijos:
    • Wadeema bint Zayed Al Nahyan (nacida el 18 de enero de 2025)
    • Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (nacido el 11 de abril de 2026)
  • Zayed bin Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacido el 29 de diciembre de 2005)
  • Salama bint Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacida el 11 de julio de 2007)
  • Fatima bint Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacida el 1 de noviembre de 2010)
  • Mohammed bin Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacido el 24 de julio de 2024)
  • Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan (nacido el 24 de julio de 2024)
• Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He is married to Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan. They have three children:
  • Fatima bint Theyab Al Nahyan (born 4 June 2014)
  • Salama bint Theyab Al Nahyan (born 7 February 2016)
  • Zayed bin Theyab Al Nahyan (born 7 May 2019)
• Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1988.^[159] He married Sheikha Fakhra bint Khalifa Al Nahyan. They have two sons:
  • Mohammed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan (born 15 August 2022)
  • Khalifa bin Hamdan Al Nahyan (born 28 February 2024)
• Sheikha Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1989. She is married to Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan. They have four children:
  • Mohammed bin Nahyan Al Nahyan (born 20 November 2012)
  • Saif bin Nahyan Al Nahyan (born 15 June 2014)
  • Zayed bin Nahyan Al Nahyan (born 3 December 2018)
  • Mariam bint Nahyan Al Nahyan (born 16 August 2023)
• Sheikha Shamma bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1992. She is married to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. They have one son:
  • Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 17 May 2023)
• Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 1995. He graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 2020.
• Sheikha Hessa bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born in 2001.
• Amina - adopted daughter
• Salha - adopted daughter

A life-long fan of falconry, Mohamed established the Mohamed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, with the goal of promoting, and sustaining, the ancient tradition by teaching it to new generations of Emiratis. He himself learned the practice from his father.^{[160][161][162]}

Mohamed, in his capacity as ruler of Abu Dhabi, has issued an Emiri decree appointing his oldest son Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan as the crown prince.^[163]

• United States: Legion of Merit (1991)^[164]
• Brazil: Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (12 November 2021)^[165]
• Kuwait:
  • First Class of the Kuwait Liberation Medal (September 1994)^[166]
  • Special Class of the Order of Kuwait (June 1995)^[166]
• France:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of Legion of Honour (18 July 2022)^[167]
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (15 February 2013)^[168]
• Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (29 October 2008)^[169]
• Kosovo: Medal of the Order of Independence (21 April 2014)^[170]
• Malaysia:
  • Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (17 June 2011)^[171]
  • Member of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (30 November 2023)^[172]
    • Pahang: Member 1st Class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (30 November 2023)^[172]
• South Korea: Grand Order of Mugunghwa (21 November 2012)^[173]
• Montenegro: Grand Cross of the Order of the Montenegrin Grand Star (12 December 2013)^[168]
• Morocco:
  • Order of Military Merit (April 1994)^[174]
  • Collar of the Order of Muhammad (17 March 2015)^[175]
• Serbia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic of Serbia (2017)^[176]
• Jordan:
  • Supreme Order of the Renaissance (June 1996)^[174]
  • Collar of the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali (21 November 2018)^[177]
• Oman:
  • Second class Military Order of Oman (26 February 2000)^[178]
  • Collar of the Order of Al-Said (27 September 2022)^[179]
• Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (23 May 2008)^[180]
• Palestine: Order of the Star of Jerusalem (October 2008)^[174]
• United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (25 November 2010)^[181][182]
• Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (23 February 2025)^[183]

• Indonesia: In April 2021, the Jakarta–Cikampek Elevated Toll Road in Indonesia was renamed as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Skyway (Jalan Layang Mohamed bin Zayed), at the behest of the Indonesian President's secretary.^[184]

• Media related to Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Wikimedia Commons