Here are six things you need to know about Sheikh Mohammed:

1. He is well educated and received military training

His education started at the Royal Academy in Rabat, Morocco where he studied until the age of 10. Then, he returned to Al Ain in Abu Dhabi where he continued school. He spent one summer studying at Gordonstoun School, a co-educational independent school in Scotland.

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After his schooldays finished, he was sent to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. During his time at Sandhurst, he completed an armour course, a flying course, a parachutist course, and received training on tactical aircraft and helicopters.

2. He is at the forefront of the struggle against extremism

Sheikh Mohammed has been at the forefront of the struggle against Islamic extremism, and in his unyielding fight against Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, he counts the United States, and President Donald Trump, as a major ally.

Sheikh Mohammed also enjoys close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has brokered talks between Putin and Trump in the past. He also has a close friendship with former US president George W. Bush, which stems from their meeting at Camp David in Maryland 12 years ago.

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3. He enjoys a luxurious lifestyle

When Sheikh Mohammed married Princess Salama in 1981, he ordered the construction of a stadium where 20,000 guests could easily be accommodated for the seven-day ceremony. The wedding was estimated to have cost US$100 million. He owns two private jets – a Boeing 747 (A6-UAE) and a Boeing 787 (A6-PFC).

Sheikh Mohammed enjoys life at sea aboard a US$60 million yacht named Rabdan.

Sheikh Mohammed uses Abu Dhabi’s presidential palace as his office. Inside it is an elegant cultural landmark known as Qasr Al Watan, which is open to the public to display the UAE’s magnificent heritage. The palace still hosts foreign dignitaries.

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4. He is a patron of the arts

Love of art runs in his blood. The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, an art and civilisation museum, to the public in November 2018 is a major milestone to have achieved with his backing and support.

A second art museum Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is in the pipeline, thanks to Sheikh Mohammed. It is hoped that these projects will promote tourism while bringing a new lease of life to the indigenous art scene.

5. He loves falcons

Sheikh Mohammed is extremely fond of falcons, and is constantly looking at ways to ensure that they, and other species like the oryx and houbara, are able to stave off the threat of extinction. As part of this conservation work, he has established the Mohammed bin Zayed Conservation Fund, which provides financial support to ensure the protection of individual species as well as honour those individuals who work tirelessly to protect such species.

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6. He is a philanthropist

Sheikh Mohammed has donated US$55 million to the United Nations Global Initiative to fight human trafficking. In 2011, he and the Bill Gates Foundation pledged US$50 million each to fund the purchase and delivery of vaccines for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Zayed Charity Marathon, an initiative that he launched in 2005, has raised millions of dollars to spread awareness about kidney disease. He has supported various other global programmes.

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