More than half a century after President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan dedicated a photograph to one of his teachers, he revisited the memory on World Teachers’ Day, sharing the image alongside a message of appreciation for teachers across the UAE.

Dated April 29, 1971, the photograph bears a handwritten note from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to his teacher, Ahmad Ibrahim Mandi.

The note reads: “I dedicate this photograph to Mr Ahmad Ibrahim Mandi as a keepsake and with thanks. Mohamed Zayed.”

The image’s publication 55 years later added a personal dimension to the UAE President’s World Teachers’ Day message, linking his appreciation for today’s educators to a teacher who influenced him during his childhood and school years.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed wrote: “On World Teachers’ Day, I express my appreciation and gratitude to teachers across the UAE and commend their role in nurturing future generations.”

He also encouraged people to use the occasion to remember their teachers and recognise the lasting impact they have had on their lives.

Ahmad Ibrahim Mandi Al Tamimi was among the first teachers to contribute to the development of education in Abu Dhabi during the UAE’s formative years. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was one of his pupils at Al Kindi School in the early 1970s.

The bond between teacher and pupil continued for years after Sheikh Mohamed left school.

In 2017, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who was then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited Mandi at his home in Khalifa City. During the meeting, they recalled memories from his school years and discussed the role of the first generation of teachers in advancing education in the UAE.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also expressed his appreciation for teachers who had devoted their time, knowledge and experience to educating generations of pupils. He described teachers as role models whose influence remains in their pupils’ lives long after lessons have ended.