Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born around 1918 in Abu Dhabi and became the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966. He was a driving force in creating the United Arab Emirates federation in 1971 and worked to improve welfare, education, health, and housing using oil revenues. Sheikh Zayed had interests in falconry, horses, camels, and supported education and women's rights. He built schools, universities, and sought to resolve issues through consultation rather than war.