THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

22HIS HIGHNESS GENERAL SHEIKH MOHAMMED BINZAYED AL NAHYANCrown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of theUAE Armed ForcesSheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan is the CrownPrince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commanderof the UAE Armed Forces, as well as next in line tobe President of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE isincreasingly becoming an important center for globalweapons trading, with Abu Dhabi as host to one of theworld’s the largest defense expos in 2009.Political and Military LeadershipSheikh Mohammed is chairman of the Abu DhabiExecutive Council—an executive leadership body inAbu Dhabi, which is constantly engaged in the assessmentof public policy. Since becoming Crown Prince in2004, Sheikh Mohammed has been recognized for hisgroundbreaking initiatives as an influential leader ofAbu Dhabi as well as Deputy Supreme Commander ofCountry: United Arab EmiratesDate of Birth: 1961Source of Influence: Administrative,Development, PhilanthropyInfluence: Military and politicalleadership, with prospectivepresidency over an estimated4.9 million residents of theUAESchool of Thought: TraditionalSunniRank: 2010:22 · 2009:22the armed forces. He is a special advisor to UAE President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed alNahyan.Economic DevelopmentWith Abu Dhabi sitting on a 10th of the world’s proven oil reserves, Sheikh Mohammed binZayed al Nahyan maintains immense political influence in the Muslim world as a leadingmember of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company—which directs development efforts forthe UAE’s role in the oil and gas industries. In spite of the debt crisis affecting Gulf states,Abu Dhabi has emerged mostly unscathed. Sheikh Mohammed is chairman of the Abu DhabiCouncil for Economic Development (ADCED), which has been developing initiatives toboost entrepreneurship among youth in the UAE.HumanitarianSheikh Mohammed is noted for his philanthropic and humanitarian efforts in charitablegiving. He has donated billions of dollars to various causes. December 2010 will mark thelaunch of a three-year project to establish a global center for health care research in AbuDhabi through the World Health Care Congress (WHCC), under the patronage of SheikhMohammed.Sustainable DevelopmentSheikh Mohammed has been a champion of sustainable development in Abu Dhabi as anadvocate for the implementation of green technologies. He pledged $15 billion for the developmentof clean energy through solar, wind, and hydrogen power.70