Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan: The man who piloted nation’s diversification from oil

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan: The man who piloted nation’s diversification from oil

In a speech during the World Government Summit a few years ago, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan had said the country would celebrate the last barrel of oil shipped out, voicing the country’s vision to move away from an oil-dependent economy.

“In 50 years, when we might have the last barrel of oil, the question is: when it is shipped abroad, will we be sad?

“If we are investing today in the right sectors, I can tell you we will celebrate at that moment,” he had said to a packed audience.

Abu Dhabi’s transformation from a little-known emirate to a global cultural and sporting destination under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed was significant. A modern state began to emerge with new attractive real estate developments on Saadiyat Island, the building of world-class museums like Louvre Abu Dhabi that turned the capital city into a cultural hub, establishment of higher education institutions like the New York Abu Dhabi University and leisure and entertainment destinations such as Yas Island that is home for the world’s first Ferrari-themed park.

A global audience flocked to Abu Dhabi to make the most out of its packed sporting and entertainment calendar, including big-ticket events like Formula 1