Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
Quick Facts
Biography
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan heads the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Social Development.
Early life
Prior to March 17, 2013, he headed the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. He is the son of Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, grandson of Mohammad bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, great-grandson of Khalifa bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, and great-great-grandson of Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works, is his brother. Sheikh Nahyan was also Chancellor of two of the UAE's three government-sponsored institutions of higher learning: United Arab Emirates University, established in 1976, and the Higher Colleges of Technology, established in 1988; and president of the third, Zayed University, established in 1998 until removed from these positions in April 2013. He is also the Chairman of CERT (Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training), the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology, established in 1996. For several years, Sheikh Nahyan has been the sponsor of the Emirates Natural History Group with chapters in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. One of the two awards presented annually by the Abu Dhabi chapter is the Sh. Mubarak Award, named for Sheikh Nahyan's father.
Investments
Nahyan is Chairman of Warid Telecom International (a regional telecoms group based out of Abu Dhabi with operations in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, and Ivory Coast). He is also chairman of the Abu Dhabi Group, Union National Bank, and United Bank Limited.
Pakistan
Nahyan has taken a keen interest in Pakistan–United Arab Emirates Friendship. He is one of two Emirati royals, that own estate with a personal game reserve near the mouth of the Indus River in Sindh Province used for falconeering and hunting; the other royal being the late Sheikh Zayed. Nahyan's Abu Dhabi United Group is a large investor in Pakistan. It owns Bank Alfalah, Warid Telecom, Wateen Telecom, Taavun and many more in Pakistan. He is also Founder Chairman of Bank Alfalah.
Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan is also recipient of Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Hilal-e-Pakistan, which was conferred upon him by the President of Pakistan in 2005.
Georgia
In Georgia, Nahyan invested in Kor Standard Bank (now Terabank) and Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi.