President of the United Arab Emirates
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (August 2017) |
| President of the United Arab Emirates | |
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| Style | His Highness |
| Member of | Federal Supreme Council |
| Residence | Qasr Al Watan |
| Seat | Abu Dhabi |
| Appointer | Federal Supreme Council (de jure) Hereditary Succession (de facto) |
| Term length | 5 years, no term limit (de jure) Life tenure (de facto) |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of the United Arab Emirates |
| Inaugural holder | Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan |
| Formation | 2 December 1971 |
| Deputy | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (de jure) Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (de facto) |
| Website | Official website |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of the United Arab Emirates |
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 United Arab Emirates portal |
The President of the United Arab Emirates, or the Raʾīs (Arabic: رَئِـيْـس), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates. The President and Vice-President are elected every 5 years by the Federal Supreme Council; while the Prime Minister is formally appointed by the President, every UAE Vice-President simultaneously serves as Prime Minister as well. Usually, a sheikh from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi holds the presidency, and a sheikh from the Emirate of Dubai the premiership. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the UAE's founding father and widely accredited for unifying the seven emirates into one country. He was the UAE's first President, from the nation's founding until his death on 2 November 2004. On the following day the Federal Supreme Council elected his son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the post.[1] The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the UAE Armed Forces.
The current President is Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Khalifa became president on 3 November 2004, following the death of his father, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Presidents of the United Arab Emirates (1971–present)
| No. | Portrait | President of the United Arab Emirates | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Emirate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان (1919–2004) | 2 December 1971 | 2 November 2004 † | 32 years, 336 days | Abu Dhabi | |
| - | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum مكتوم بن راشد آل مكتوم (1941–2006) Acting | 2 November 2004 | 3 November 2004 | 1 day | Dubai | |
| 2 | Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan خليفة بن زايد آل نهيان (born 1947) | 3 November 2004 | Incumbent | 20 years, 0 days | Abu Dhabi |
Insignia
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Standard of the president, 1973 to 2008. -
Standard of the president, 2008 to present.
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