Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, منصور بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; born 21 November 1970), often referred to as Sheikh Mansour,
is an Emirati politician who is the deputy prime minister of the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, minister of presidential affairs, billionaire and member of
the ruling family of
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
. He is the brother of the current President of the UAE,
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ( ar, مُحَمّد بِن زَايد آل نَهيَان, Moḥamed bin Zāyed Āl Nahyān; born 11 March 1961), colloquially known by his initials as MBZ, is the third president of the United Arab Emirate ...
,
and is married to one of the daughters of
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...
, the ruler of
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
He is involved in various government-run companies in the UAE. He is chairman of the Ministerial Development Council, the
Emirates Investment Authority
The Emirates Investment Authority (EIA) is the only sovereign wealth fund of the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. It was established in 2007, the EIA has actively sought unique investment opportunities locally, regionally and inter ...
and the Emirates Racing Authority. He sits on the
Supreme Petroleum Council
The Supreme Petroleum Council ( ar, المجلس الأعلى للبترول) is the highest governing body of oil, gas and similar industry-related activities in Abu Dhabi. The Council was formed in 1988. The Council is tasked with supervising al ...
and the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs. Mansour is a member of the boards of
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ( ar, شركة بترول أبوظبي الوطنية) or ADNOC is the State-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the world's 12th largest oil company by production.
As of 2021, the compan ...
and
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ( ar, جهاز أبوظبي للاستثمار, ADIA) is a sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates) founded for the purpose of investing funds on behalf of the Gover ...
(ADIA). He is vice chairman of
Mubadala Investment Company
Mubadala Investment Company PJSC ( ar, شركة مبادلة للاستثمار), or simply Mubadala, is an Emirati state-owned holding company that acts as a sovereign wealth fund. The company was established in 2017 when then-named Mubadala Dev ...
,
the
Emirati state-owned
sovereign wealth fund
A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), sovereign investment fund, or social wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such ...
. He is chairman of the UAE central bank.
He is also the owner of the
Abu Dhabi United Group
The Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG; ar, مجموعة أبوظبي الاتحاد للتنمية والاستثمار) is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) based private equity company. It is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Z ...
(ADUG), an investment company for the Abu Dhabi royal family, that acquired
Manchester City Football Club
Manchester City Football Club are an English football club based in Manchester that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton), they became Ardwick Association Football ...
in September 2008. He immediately handed all responsibility and ownership to
Khaldoon Al Mubarak
Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak ( ar, خلدون المبارك; born 1975) is an Emirati Government official and business leader. Al Mubarak holds senior positions within the Government of Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, including as: a member of ...
and the
City Football Group
City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a holding company that administers association football clubs. The group is owned by three organisations; of which 81% is majority owned by Newton Investment and Development LLC, 18% by the American firm Sil ...
which has overseen a significant transformation at the club since then. The club have won six top flight league titles for the first time since 1968; City's first
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
titles. On 21 May 2013,
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
of the United States announced that its second New York City club, to be called
New York City FC
New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned ...
, would begin play in the 2015 season and be majority-owned by Mansour in association with brothers
Hal and
Hank Steinbrenner
Henry George Steinbrenner III (April 2, 1957 – April 14, 2020) was an American businessman who was a part owner and co-chairman of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the older brother of the team's principal own ...
.
Early life and education
Mansour was born in the
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 ...
on 21 November 1970, the fifth son of the Emir of Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as ...
.
His mother is
Sheikha
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliteration of Arabic, transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonl ...
Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi
Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi ( ar, فاطمة بنت مبارك الكتبي) is the third wife of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and inaugural president of United Arab Emirates. She is referred to as the mother of sheikhs and as ...
and he has five full-brothers:
President Mohammed,
Hamdan,
Hazza,
Tahnoun, and
Abdullah
Abdullah may refer to:
* Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village
* ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan
* '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
.
They are known as Bani Fatima or sons of Fatima.
Mansour attended
Santa Barbara Community College as an English student in 1989.
[ He is a graduate of ]United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU; ar, جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة) is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It is the oldest university in the United Arab Emirates. It was esta ...
where he received a bachelor's degree in international affairs in 1993.[
]
Political career
In 1997, Mansour was appointed chairman of the presidential office, at which time his father Sheikh Zayed was the president of the UAE. After the death of his father, he was appointed by his eldest half brother, Khalifa II, as the first minister of presidential affairs of the United Arab Emirates, following a merger of the presidential office and presidential court. He also served in a number of positions in Abu Dhabi to support his brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ( ar, مُحَمّد بِن زَايد آل نَهيَان, Moḥamed bin Zāyed Āl Nahyān; born 11 March 1961), colloquially known by his initials as MBZ, is the third president of the United Arab Emirates ...
.
He was appointed chairman of the ministerial council for services (now Ministerial Development Council). Since 2000 he chaired National Center for Documentation and Research
The National Library And Archives (NLA) is a leading research and archival institution based in Abu Dhabi charged with preserving and documenting the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf region in general. The NL ...
. In 2004 reshuffle, he became minister for presidential affairs. In 2005, he became the deputy chairman of the Abu Dhabi education council (ADEC), chairman of the Emirates Foundation
Emirates Foundation is a charity set up by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Emirates Foundation (EF) was launched in April 2005 as an initiative from General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy ...
, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is a foreign aid agency established by the government of Abu Dhabi in 1971. The fund provides concessionary loans to fund economic and social development projects. The fund also invests in order to expand ...
. In 2006, he was named the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. In 2007, he was appointed chairman of Khalifa bin Zayed Charity Foundation.
Mansour served as the chairman of First Gulf Bank
FGB (formerly known as First Gulf Bank) was the third largest bank by assets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), until it merged with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi in December 2016 to form First Abu Dhabi Bank, creating the largest bank by asse ...
until 2006, and as a member of the board of trustees of the Zayed charitable and humanitarian foundation. Mansour has established scholarship programs for U.A.E students to study abroad. He is also chairman of the Emirates horse racing authority (EHRA). On 11 May 2009, he was appointed deputy prime minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
, retaining his cabinet post of minister of presidential affairs.
In October 2022, whilst Mansour’s tenure as deputy prime minister, he was accused of helping Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (, ; he, רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a Russian Russian oligarchs, oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, a Premier League football club ...
and other wealthy Russian oligarchs
Russian oligarchs (Russian: олигархи, romanized: ''oligarkhi'') are business oligarchs of the former Soviet republics who rapidly accumulated wealth in the 1990s via the Russian privatisation that followed the dissolution of the Soviet ...
evade sanctions during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
. He was described as being “central” to the flow of sanctioned Russian assets to the UAE.
Business portfolio
Mansour is the vice chairman of the Emirati state-owned Mubadala Investment Company
Mubadala Investment Company PJSC ( ar, شركة مبادلة للاستثمار), or simply Mubadala, is an Emirati state-owned holding company that acts as a sovereign wealth fund. The company was established in 2017 when then-named Mubadala Dev ...
. He was formerly chairman of IPIC. After the 1Malaysia Development Berhad
1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB; ) is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated).
1MDB was established to drive strategic initiatives for long-term economic development ...
(1MDB) scandal
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
was highlighted and Khadem al-Qubaisi
Khadem Abdullah al-Qubaisi ( ar, خادم عبد الله القبيسي; born September 27, 1971) is an Emirati businessman and the former managing director of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). In 2015, he was replaced as ...
, who was managing IPIC, was arrested in 2016, IPIC was folded into Aabar Investments. Qubaisi blamed Mansour and the UAE authorities for using him as a scapegoat in the affair.
In 2005, he was appointed as a member of the Supreme Petroleum Council
The Supreme Petroleum Council ( ar, المجلس الأعلى للبترول) is the highest governing body of oil, gas and similar industry-related activities in Abu Dhabi. The Council was formed in 1988. The Council is tasked with supervising al ...
. In the same year he chaired the board of directors of IPIC and became the board member of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ( ar, جهاز أبوظبي للاستثمار, ADIA) is a sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates) founded for the purpose of investing funds on behalf of the Gover ...
(ADIA). In 2007, he was appointed chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority
The Emirates Investment Authority (EIA) is the only sovereign wealth fund of the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. It was established in 2007, the EIA has actively sought unique investment opportunities locally, regionally and inter ...
, the sovereign wealth fund
A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), sovereign investment fund, or social wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such ...
of UAE.
Mansour has a 32% stake in Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company i ...
after investing $280 million in the project through Aabar in July 2009. Aabar also has a 9.1% stake in Daimler
Daimler is a German surname. It may refer to:
People
* Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900), German inventor, industrialist and namesake of a series of automobile companies
* Adolf Daimler (1871–1913), engineer and son of Gottlieb Daimler
* Paul Da ...
after purchasing the stake for $2.7 billion in March 2009 and it was reported that Aabar wishes to increase its stake to 15% in August 2010. He owns the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (ADMIC) which partnered with British Sky Broadcasting
Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of ...
to establish Sky News Arabia – a new Arabic-language news channel headquartered in Abu Dhabi. ADMIC also owns the English-language newspaper '' The National''.
Sport
Mansour is an accomplished horse rider and has won a number of endurance racing tournaments held in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, and is chairman of the Emirates horse racing authority. He is a strong supporter of Arabian horse racing and the patron of the annual Zayed International Half Marathon
The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The inaugural edition of the half marathon race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, competition in Abu Dhabi.
He is the chairman of the Al Jazira sports company and was a leading figure in Abu Dhabi's successful bid to host the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 and 2010. The company owns Al Jazira Club
Al Jazira Club is an Emirati professional football club based in Abu Dhabi, that currently competes in the UAE Pro League.
History
Al-Jazira was established in 1974 as a merger between ''Khalidiyah'' and ''Al Bateen''. The club struggled to st ...
, which plays football, volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
, handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
and basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. The football club won the President's Cup in 2010–2011, 2011–2012 and 2015–2016.
In September 2008, Sheikh Mansour acquired Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
football club from former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, a ...
. By 23 September 2008, the Abu Dhabi United Group
The Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG; ar, مجموعة أبوظبي الاتحاد للتنمية والاستثمار) is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) based private equity company. It is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Z ...
, backed by Mansour, completed their takeover negotiations and the ownership was transferred to them. He also owns the City Football Group
City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a holding company that administers association football clubs. The group is owned by three organisations; of which 81% is majority owned by Newton Investment and Development LLC, 18% by the American firm Sil ...
, which was founded in 2014 and consists of Manchester City FC
Manchester City Football Club are an English football club based in Manchester that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton), they became Ardwick Association Football ...
, Melbourne City FC
Melbourne City Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the south–eastern Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne East, that plays in the A-League, the top level of Australian soccer, under licence from Australian Profession ...
, New York City FC
New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned ...
, Mumbai City FC and others.
Personal life
Mansour married Sheikha Alia bint Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed in the mid-1990s.[ They have one son, Zayed,] who has been married to Sheikha Meera bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan since May 2022.
In 2005, Mansour married Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, منال بنت محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم; born 12 November 1977) is an Emirati politician and member of the ruling family of Dubai. She is the eldest child of Mohammed bin ...
. She is the daughter of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...
ruler of Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
. They have two daughters and three sons: Fatima (2006), Mohammed (2007), Hamdan (2011), Latifa (2014) and Rashid (2017).
Honours
*
Honorary Knight Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(2013)
Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
1970 births
Living people
United Arab Emirates University alumni
House of Al Nahyan
Emirati bankers
Emirati politicians
Emirati Muslims
Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Arab Emirates
Government ministers of the United Arab Emirates
Children of presidents of the United Arab Emirates
Emirati football chairmen and investors
Manchester City F.C. directors and chairmen
Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire