Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1948, Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi emirate [now in United Arab Emirates]—died May 13, 2022) was the president of the United Arab Emirates (2004–22) and emir of Abu Dhabi constituent emirate (2004–22).
Khalifa was the first son of Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as ruler of Abu Dhabi and head of the Nahyan dynasty from 1966 to 2004 and as president of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 to 2004. Khalifa was raised in Al-Ain, one of the emirate’s most important cities, and became his father’s official representative to the region when the latter became emir in 1966.
In July 1971, just months prior to the formation and independence of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa was appointed prime minister of Abu Dhabi (a position later retitled chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council). He became instrumental in developing the emirate by using its vast oil wealth and encouraged private investment from Abu Dhabi’s citizens through loan programs. In the 1980s he became chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council.
Because he had been both Abu Dhabi’s able administrator and, since 1969, the emirate’s crown prince, it was no surprise when Khalifa succeeded his father as the country’s president in 2004 upon the latter’s death. During his reign the advisory Federal National Council began selecting one-half of all its members through an electoral college system, and by 2015 the electoral college included about one-third of all voting-age citizens. His aid to Dubai, the neighbouring constituent emirate, whose policies had become increasingly independent of the federation until the 2007–08 global financial crisis, helped cement Abu Dhabi’s leadership of the country’s policy agenda.
In 2014 Khalifa suffered a stroke. He subsequently retained a largely ceremonial role while responsibilities for the day-to-day affairs of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates fell upon his brothers, most notably Mohamed, the crown prince.