Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Emîr (أمير) (Ruler) of Abu Dhabi and first Ra’îs (رئيس) President of the United Arab Emirates, a post which he held for the lengthy period of over 33 years (1971–2004).