Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed was named Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Photo: Supreme Council for National Security
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed was named Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Photo: Supreme Council for National Security

Profile: Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi



Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed was named Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

He has served as National Security Adviser since 2016, when the late President Sheikh Khalifa appointed him to the position, reporting directly to the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Security.

Sheikh Tahnoon, 54, who is brother of President Sheikh Mohamed, also holds senior roles in high-profile businesses in the emirate.

He is chairman of the board of directors of First Abu Dhabi Bank, which was created from the merger of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and FGB.

Speaking after the merger in 2017, Sheikh Tahnoon said the launch of the new bank was “an exciting milestone, as we establish a new identity which draws on past achievements, while symbolising our vision for the fut­ure”.

“FAB represents the genesis of a story, built upon our sturdy Abu Dhabi roots and is set to spark a movement dedicated to helping everyone we interact with, to grow stronger,” he said.

Sheikh Tahnoon is chairman of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds, which makes investments across asset classes such as equities, fixed income, infrastructure, private equity and property.

He has served as chairman of International Holding Company since 2020 and holds the same role at Abu Dhabi's leading artificial intelligence and cloud computing group, G42.

He is also chairman of Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, ADQ, one of the biggest holding companies in the region with investments in energy and utilities, food and agriculture, health care and life sciences, and transport and logistics.

Sheikh Tahnoon is also chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group, which is active in a number of sectors, including property, construction, food and beverages, hospitality, aviation and health care.

The group has more than 60 companies under its umbrella and employs 20,000 people.

Key role in UAE development

As National Security Adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon has had a prominent role in the progress and development of the UAE.

Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, he met with Yossi Cohen, head of Israel's Mossad security service, in the UAE.

Sheikh Tahnoon affirmed that the UAE was committed to the principles of peace and tolerance, as well as promoting diplomacy that will contribute to the enhancement of stability in the region.

"The UAE will spare no efforts in delivering that goal," he said.

Sheikh Tahnoon said that rapid scientific and technological progress required a sincere quest for best possible practices and expertise from countries to ensure a better future for people in the region.

He has met senior government officials on numerous occasions in recent years, including UK prime minister Boris Johnston in 2022 and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim.

Sheikh Tahnoon has a black belt in jiu-jitsu and has been integral to the growth of mixed martial arts in the UAE and the region.

After watching his first UFC in 1993, he studied the combat sport in the US, before setting up Abu Dhabi Combat Club and the ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Pathaan
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About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

MATCH INFO

Jersey 147 (20 overs) 

UAE 112 (19.2 overs)

Jersey win by 35 runs

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

End of free parking

- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18

- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued

- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket

- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200. 

- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200

- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Results

Stage seven

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s

The biog

Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah

Date of birth: 15 November, 1951

Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”

Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry

if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip 

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

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How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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Updated: March 19, 2025, 10:00 AM