UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced on Wednesday, October 28, that January 7 each year will be observed as “Zayed the Founding Father Day”, a national occasion honouring Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE. The occasion will be commemorated for the first time on Thursday, January 7, 2027.

“The Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, will forever remain alive in the hearts of the people of the UAE,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X. “He led the efforts to establish the Union and built this nation on unity, dedication and generosity. He instilled noble and proud values in the hearts of his people and left an enduring legacy of wisdom, insight and foresight.” He added: “Today, we declare January 7 each year as Zayed the Founding Father Day, a national occasion to honour this rich legacy and instil its principles in future generations, so that it may continue to inspire our journey towards the future.”

The occasion was established at the initiative of the Founder’s Office, which leads projects aimed at preserving the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father. However, it has not yet been announced whether the day will be a public holiday, and details of the commemorative events have yet to be disclosed.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, also wrote on X that the decision renews pride in Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and the country’s founding values. “The greatest tribute to Zayed is to keep his path alive in our hearts and his values firmly rooted in our children,” he said.

Sheikh Zayed, known to Emiratis as the “Father of the Nation”, became Ruler of Abu Dhabi on August 6, 1966, and played a pivotal role in unifying the emirates. When the United Arab Emirates was established on December 2, 1971, the rulers of the other emirates unanimously elected him as the country’s President, a position he held until his death in 2004.

The UAE already marks Zayed Humanitarian Day each year on the 19th day of Ramadan, the anniversary of the Founding Father’s death, and designated 2018 as the Year of Zayed to mark the centenary of his birth. In July 2024, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also declared July 18, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Union and the UAE Constitution in 1971, as Union Pledge Day.