Elan is proud to announce our new series of progressive, modern leaders in the Middle East, “Elan’s Landmark Leader Profiles.” Not bios or editorial pieces, but profiles of leaders in the region who are forward thinkers, listeners, change agents and preparing their societies for a post-oil Middle East. We’ll profile these leaders through stories of people who have actually interacted with them.
Our first leader profile is that of Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan.
His humble personality, sincerity and most importantly hands on approach to governance make him an exemplary leader in our opinion. Sheikh Nahyan has developed a reputation as a champion of women’s rights, higher education and community empowerment. These traits have earned him the title Sheikh of Hearts; not only in the United Arab Emirates, but from people across the region.
I am proud to have met the Sheikh myself during one of my trips to the region.
I sat down for dinner with a friend of mine, in a chic restaurant in Abu Dhabi (it honestly felt more like Manhattan). It was my first time visiting Abu Dhabi, and my friend had offered to show me around. I was there to find stories, discover trends and to network. As we were eating, she went down the list of the who’s who in town and mentioned Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development. According to her, he was someone I just had to meet.
She told me about her friend, Amna, who was accepted into a PhD program at UCLA. However, Amna’s family would not allow their young, unmarried, Emirati daughter to study abroad. Amna was so desperate to hold on to the opportunity she had earned that she went to Sheikh Nahyan herself, showed him the admissions letter and told him her family wouldn’t let her go to school. The Sheikh went home with her that moment, and convinced her father to let her go. Amna is now completing her PhD at UCLA…with frequent visits from her family.
As my trip progressed and I met more people in Abu Dhabi, it seemed as if everyone had a Sheikh Nahyan story.
ATTENDING A MAJLIS
A few days later, my friend took me to attend Sheikh Nahyan’s daily majlis (a special gathering hosted by the Sheikh). As we entered, a room full of men sitting on sleek, silk couches that were lined against the walls stood up and said in unison, “Asalamulaikum.” Sheikh Nahyan, greeted us warmly and suggested we sit. Soon after, I was sipping tea and talking business with the other guests around me.
One by one, everyone who entered received the same treatment- the Sheikh made sure everyone felt welcome. Occasionally, he would look down at his cell phone and other times, he would speak to his guests. What was beautiful about the whole set up was the Sheikh’s aura. He made one feel as if they were visiting family. My friend suggested I visit the majlis a few times, before speaking with him directly, and each time I received flawless hospitality.
To further profile Sheikh Nahyan, I spoke with three of his close friends to hear about their experiences with him.
EMPOWERING WOMEN
Princess Hayat Wahab Arslan of Lebanon recalls the first time she met Sheikh Nahyan at the Kanoo family home in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s been twelve years since we met at a mutual friend’s home, and I said to myself after meeting Sheikh Nahyan, ‘He is a caring brother.’ He is a real Sheikh with the qualities of the most elegant man. Whenever I go to the Emirates, I feel that I am under his umbrella. A gentleman is nothing compared to his elegance and generous spirit.”
Princess Hayat, who is based in Beirut, founded an NGO called Society of Lebanon the Giver that has a Women’s Economic Empowerment program, whose main mission is to socially empower impoverished women in Lebanon, an economy that has been struggling since the 1975 civil war. They began a vocational training school that trains women in embroidery, tailoring, painting, flower arrangement and other skills. The handicrafts they create with their new skills are then sold at exhibitions to help earn income for the women.
Princess Hayat said, “When we met at my friend’s home, I thought I gained the luck of my life and the life of my NGO. He has encouraged us so much.”
Princess Hayat’s invitation cards for her fundraisers always state that the event is under Sheikh Nahyan’s patronage. She said everyone knows immediately the event will be successful, because the Sheikh only supports organizations with genuine aims and objectives. “That is a moral help and at the same time, he made a generous donation at our previous fundraisers,” said Princess Hayat, “which was the cornerstone for the new premises for the school.”
Earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, Princess Hayat had a book signing event, in memory of her father, Prince Faysal Majid Arslan which also included an exhibition of the handicrafts that the women from her organization produced. Sheikh Nahyan toured the exhibit with her. She recalls their conversation. “This is something he believes in, helping women to earn or to learn a vocation. This is real social help. And this is a duty because if you give women help and donation, it doesn’t have the same effect, as teaching them a vocation or skill to earn a living from. We have the same belief.”
Women often suffer more economic hardships than their male counterparts in the region. The World Bank reports, nearly 17% unemployment for female, youth unemployment in the UAE; much lower than the regional female, youth unemployment coming in at 48%.
During his term as the Minister for Higher Education, Sheikh Nahyan spared no resource in creating several universities and colleges for young Emirati women. He helped mobilize the best level of education possible. He also played an integral role in ensuring that the parents of these young women understood the importance of education and the impact this would later have on broadening their daughters’ career opportunities.
Mrs. Salwa Zeidan, another friend of Sheikh Nahyan, and a leader in the art scene in Abu Dhabi, continues, “The work that Sheikh Nahyan and the leaders of this country have done will have ripple effects for years to come. They sowed the seeds that led to a generation of educated, ambitious, and empowered women and are continuously working towards maximizing their presence in the workplace and now even in government. They are a beacon for female empowerment in the region.”
ADOPTING THE UAE AS A HOME
Countries in the Arab region are plagued with conflict and mismanaged resources; leaving many scrabbling to relocate to find simple necessities. The United Arab Emirates has become a safe hub for families, and businesses craving stability.
Zeidan’s family moved to the UAE in 1975 fleeing the civil war in Lebanon. “It was impossible to stay there with my newborn baby,” recalls Zeidan. “My husband was offered a job in Dubai so we decided to move. And shortly after we moved to Abu Dhabi. It felt like home.”
In her new adopted home, Zeidan started off as an artist in the 1980’s and then began curating different exhibitions throughout the city for several emerging artists which eventually led to her founding the first art gallery in Abu Dhabi in 1994.
“I have witnessed the transition in art in Abu Dhabi firsthand and it always gives me such joy to see how far this country has come into putting art and culture at the forefront,” said Zeidan.
Abu Dhabi will be home to the region’s leading art institutions. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be opening in 2017 and the museum’s collection will showcase art from Middle Eastern and Islamic culture. The Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and a performing arts center on NYU Abu Dhabi’s campus are all planned facilities to be located on Saadiyat Island, a nearby island just offshore Abu Dhabi.
Though it’s incredibly impressive to build such monumental structures, there has been criticism about the lack of an “art culture” in Abu Dhabi. “I have always been critical of the art movement inside Abu Dhabi,” said Ms. Shirley Elghanian, an old friend of Sheikh Nahyan, from his boarding school days at Millfield (in England). “It seems that the education is coming from top to bottom. If I had anything to do with it, I would start putting more of my energy into education first and then what is happening now, should be a byproduct. Not the other way around.”
Elghanian however admitted that the art scene is developing and will most likely continue to flourish because of these institutions in the years to come.
A HUMBLE SHEIKH’S DUTY TO THE COMMUNITY
On any given day, it is very common for the Sheikh to be in two, three or even more cities; if he has committed to being there, he will make sure he is there.
“He is known for his tremendous support for the community. He loves to help people evolve and grow,” Zeidan pointed out.
Sheikh Nahyan is always present at Zeidan’s exhibitions. “His unwavering encouragement for every initiative I ever undertook has fueled my determination and truly inspired me. Be it his presence at our events, his patronage of several of them or his support in helping us realize ambitious cultural initiatives,” Zeidan remarked.
Zeidan and her husband met with Sheikh Nahyan in 1981 and were instantly drawn to him.
She continues, “His efforts have paved the way for generations to come. With all of his achievements and stature, he remains one of the humblest and pleasant people I have ever met.”
Sheikhs and other royals from the Middle East, have been known to splurge, often making news for having the most expensive car collections or buying the most expensive properties. But Sheikh Nahyan seems to be cut from a different cloth.
“On his wrist, you will never see him wearing anything but a plastic watch. That’s what he wears. And the same style.” Remarks Elghanian, who has known Sheikh Nahyan since they were 17. “I’m sure he replaces it with the same style, once the other one becomes old. I have never ever, and I have known him for so many years, seen anything on his wrist but that.”
Elghanian is the founder of The Magic of Persia Foundation, that promotes Iranian art and culture to a wider audience outside of Iran. “Sheikh Nahyan attended Millfield Boarding School with my cousin. We all used to hang out, but we didn’t see much of each other after we graduated from school.”
Years later, in a chance encounter, Elghanian walked into a London restaurant and asked the Maitre D’ for a table. The Maitre D’ mentioned he had reserved a large table for Sheikh Nahyan Al Nahyan’s party. “I just couldn’t believe it. I marched myself up the stairs towards where he was dining, and sure enough, he was sitting with 20-25 people eating dinner, as he normally would. That was the beginning of a long journey we took. This was before I launched my organization,” said Elghanian.
A SHEIKH WITH NO BORDERS
Elghanian is of Iranian Jewish decent, and often times her friendship with an Emirati Sheikh raises eyebrows. She elaborated, “I remember one time, I thought it may be compromising for him to host us in Abu Dhabi. I said to him, ‘We will just postpone our trip.’ And he reacted and said, ‘If you don’t come, you’re not my friend.’” Elghanian insists that the Sheikh refuses to let their friendship be tarnished by politics.
The United Arab Emirates has had more of an inclusive policy towards other nationalities and expats living inside the country than others in the region. Just recently, in an unprecedented move, the government of Abu Dhabi announced a landmark decision to allot land to build a Hindu temple, the first one in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Nahyan, was there when the government invited Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to make the announcement. Sheikh Nahyan, even took a selfie with the Prime Minister.
Sheikh Nahyan has always indicated a policy of inclusion. While commenting on the UAE’s stance on bridging cultural and religions gaps inside the country, he said the first thing that was built in the UAE after the discovery of oil was a church, not a mosque.
IN CONCLUSION
I’m happy to write that all of the stories I heard from people who know the Sheikh of Hearts confirm everything I’ve heard about him as well as my personal experience with him. On my last trip to the region, I attended the Sheikh’s majlis once again and finally got the chance to meet and this time he invited me to sit next to him. Slightly nervous, and intimidated after all the stories I heard of him, I told him of my projects. When I was finished speaking, he invited me back to speak with him on my next trip. I can’t wait to speak with him again and see what great things he will accomplish next.
By: Moniza Khokhar
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It’s much easier to untnrsdaed when you put it that way!