Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

5 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I first oil company exploration teams arrived in the region in the early 1930s, Sheikh Zayed was chosen to act as their guide, gaining his first exposure to the industry that would ultimately change the future of the Emirates. The beginnings of a political career The Sheikh officially began his political career in 1946, when he was named Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi. At the age of 28, the Sheikh was responsible for the administration of six villages and an adjacent part of the desert around the oasis of Al Ain. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, Sheikh Zayed had established what he wished to achieve for the people of Al Ain, and what’s more, he was determined to lead by example. Despite not having much in the way of government resources, Sheikh Zayed was able to accomplish a tremendous amount of progress in Al Ain, personally funding the first modern school in the emirate, the Al Nahyan School, in 1959, and collaborating with relatives and friends to encourage them to contribute further resources. His time in the desert gave him familiarity and empathy with the issues his people faced, and achieved remarkably sophisticated solutions for the scarcity of water resources whilst restructuring water ownership rights to ensure a more equitable distribution among the people. This innovative measure resulted in the growth of agricultural development and the resurgence of the oasis as the predominant market centre. He built the first hospital and the first network of paved roads and streets in Al Ain, and his city planning helped ensure that the city would remain one of the most verdant in the region. To this day, ornamental and decorative trees can be seen that the Sheikh planted as part of his far-sighted forestry programme. On the cultural side, he founded a museum in Al Ain to find and study Background Photography: KarimEldeghedy