Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born on January 8, 1982, and is the eldest son of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 3rd President of the United Arab Emirates. He was appointed to the role of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on 29 March 2023, positioning him as the successor to his father and next in line to lead the emirate. In his current capacity, he serves as Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Khaled graduated from Arizona State University in 2004 with a bachelor's in Political Science, followed by a master's degree from Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service. He also earned a PhD from King's College London from the Department of War Studies in 2014. His educational background in political science, foreign policy, and strategic studies has shaped his approach to governance and national security.

Career History

• 2015: Appointed Chairman of the National Commission for the Security of Electronic Management
• 2016: Appointed Chairman of the State Security Department with the rank of Minister
• 2017: Appointed Deputy National Security Adviser with the rank of Minister (January 16, 2017)
• 2019: Appointed Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office
• 2021: Appointed to Board of Directors of ADNOC
• 2023: Appointed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council (March 29, 2023)

Known for his focus on economic diversification and innovation, Khaled launched a government-led career-building programme that enabled school graduates, university graduates and job seekers to gain additional skills, with existing initiatives helping more than 4,000 Emiratis to get full-time jobs in 2021. He also launched a new global renewable energy and green hydrogen venture between ADNOC and TAQA in 2021, creating a clean energy powerhouse with a total generating capacity of at least 30 Gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. Additionally, he chairs the UAE Genomics Council, the executive committee of the board of directors of ADNOC, and the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). As a keen practitioner of Jiu-Jitsu, he has been instrumental in turning Abu Dhabi into the global capital of the sport.

What Sheikh Khaled could bring to his role as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi: Based on his documented career progression from national security leadership to economic development and innovation oversight, Sheikh Khaled is positioned to drive continued modernization of Abu Dhabi's governance structures while maintaining robust security frameworks. His experience launching large-scale economic diversification initiatives, his leadership in renewable energy transitions, and his demonstrated commitment to youth development and technological advancement suggest he will prioritize sustainable economic growth, technological leadership, and institutional innovation as the emirate navigates future challenges and opportunities in the region.