Grandson of the President of the United Arab Emirates—Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan—His Highness Sheikh Zayed has an innate sense of duty towards enhancing the civic life of his country. Through a number of diverse initiatives, he strives to support emerging creative voices, and to enrich the cultural life of the UAE. With a steadfast commitment towards promoting local and regional culture globally, he has become, at the young age of 32, one of the most prominent art patrons in the country and also on the international stage.
Sheikh Zayed is a Patron of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and of the British Museum in London. Being a keen collector of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern and South Asian art himself, he serves on their Middle Eastern acquisition committees. In this capacity, he—independently, and also with UAE Unlimited—has generously donated artworks by prominent Emirati artists to both institutions, including pieces by Mohammed Kazem, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mansoori, and Ammar Al Attar. Sheikh Zayed is also a Patron of the Sharjah Art Foundation.
Apart from being an advocate of the arts, His Highness also shows a deep commitment to global sustainability and humanitarian work, and supports scientific research. He is Chairman of Alliances for Global Sustainability. He serves on the Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, UAE Chapter.
In 2015, His Highness Sheikh Zayed has established UAE Unlimited (formerly UAE Unlimited Arab Exploration): an open exhibition platform, committed to the support and promotion of creative pursuits within the UAE and internationally. UAE Unlimited is now in its sixth cycle, and has already begun to make a positive impact on the cultural landscape of the country, and on the life and career of emerging artists, poets and writers.
Sheikh Zayed is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he received a Master of Arts with Honors in Middle East Studies and Modern History.
Sheikh Zayed is a Patron of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and of the British Museum in London. Being a keen collector of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern and South Asian art himself, he serves on their Middle Eastern acquisition committees. In this capacity, he—independently, and also with UAE Unlimited—has generously donated artworks by prominent Emirati artists to both institutions, including pieces by Mohammed Kazem, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mansoori, and Ammar Al Attar. Sheikh Zayed is also a Patron of the Sharjah Art Foundation.
Apart from being an advocate of the arts, His Highness also shows a deep commitment to global sustainability and humanitarian work, and supports scientific research. He is Chairman of Alliances for Global Sustainability. He serves on the Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, UAE Chapter.
In 2015, His Highness Sheikh Zayed has established UAE Unlimited (formerly UAE Unlimited Arab Exploration): an open exhibition platform, committed to the support and promotion of creative pursuits within the UAE and internationally. UAE Unlimited is now in its sixth cycle, and has already begun to make a positive impact on the cultural landscape of the country, and on the life and career of emerging artists, poets and writers.
Sheikh Zayed is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he received a Master of Arts with Honors in Middle East Studies and Modern History.