Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, revered as founding father of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was the first President of the country and the Emir of Abu Dhabi. His political journey began as governor of Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Province. As his eldest brother and Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout ibn Sultan, was reluctant to invest oil revenues in developing the emirate, the British, on request of other members of the Al Nahyan family, deposed Shakhbout in a non-violent palace coup and made Zayed the new Emir. After Zayed came to know that the British would revoke its treaties with the Trucial States and withdraw from the area, he became the chief architect in uniting seven emirates to form the UAE. He became first President of UAE and played an instrumental role in its overall development spending oil revenue in such pursuit. UAE under his leadership emerged among the most flourishing nations in the region and as a middle power. Zayed served as Emir of Abu Dhabi for nearly four decades and as UAE president for almost 33 years till his death and was succeeded by his eldest son Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.