Sheikh Dhiyab ibn Isa al-Nahyan was the
Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
of the
Bani Yas of the
Liwa Oasis (
Abu Dhabi emirate
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi (, , or ; ar, إِمَارَةْ أَبُوظَبِي , ) is one of seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is by far the largest emirate, accounting for 87% of the nation's total land area o ...
) from 1761 to 1793
and the founder of the
Al Bu Falah dynasty, which still rules Abu Dhabi, the capital of the
United Arab Emirates (UAE),
today.
Life
Dhiyab ibn Isa, leader of the Bani Yas tribal confederation, sent a hunting party from
Liwa Liwa may refer to:
Places
; Chad
*Liwa (sub-prefecture) in Mamdi Department
; Indonesia
*Liwa, Indonesia
; Oman
* Liwa, Oman, place in Oman, area around Sohar University
*Liwa Province, Oman (wilayah)
; Poland
*Liwa, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeshi ...
in 1761 which tracked a
gazelle to a brackish spring on the island. The gazelle became the symbol of Abu Dhabi, and gave it its name (literally ''Father of the Gazelle''). In 1793, Dhiyab ordered his son
Shakbut to move to the island. He did and then built a village of some 20 houses
and a fort there.
The village expanded quickly, and within two years there were 400 houses on the island, which quickly became the capital of the Bani Yas.
In 1793 Dhiyab visited Abu Dhabi in order to tell a branch of the
Al Bu Falah led by his cousin
Hazza bin Zayed bin Muhammad bin Falah
Harry Harding (born 16 June 1990 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia), also known as Hazza Harding and simply his stage name Hazza, is a journalist, television presenter, radio host and singer in China. His debut single, "Let Go", was released o ...
to stop stirring up trouble with a neighbouring tribe. Hazza, who was in Bahrain at the time, returned and killed Dhiyab during an argument between them. The Bani Yas elders supported Dhiyab’s son, Shakhbut, and Hazza went into exile after his supporters were defeated. Dhiyab's son Shakhbut acceded as sheikh.
References
House of Al Nahyan
Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi
1793 deaths
Year of birth unknown
18th-century Arabs
{{MEast-royal-stub