The Bani Yas came to Abu Dhabi in the 18th century from Liwa Oasis.[1] They have ruled Abu Dhabi since 1793, and previously ruled Liwa. Five of the rulers were overthrown and eight were killed in coups between 1793 and 1966; many were brothers.[2][3] The Al Nahyan family control multiple sovereign wealth funds including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company that have an estimated US$1 trillion worth of assets under management.[4]
Rulers
The following Al Nahyan family members have ruled Abu Dhabi:
Genealogy
Controversy
In April 2009, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed, a member of the Al Nahyan royal family, was subject to a controversy where he was allegedly shown to be torturing a man.[10]
In 2017, several Emirati princesses from the Al Nahyan family were found guilty in a Belgium court over the inhumane treatment of servants, an incident that occurred between 2007 and 2008.[11][12]
^Motohiro, Ono (March 2011). "Reconsideration of the Meanings of the Tribal Ties in the United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi Emirate in Early ʼ90s" (PDF). Kyoto Bulletin of Islamic Area Studies. 4–1 (2): 25–34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
^Davidson, Christopher M. (2011). Abu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond. Hurst. ISBN 9781849041539.
^James Onley; Sulayman Khalaf (2006). "Shaikhly Authority in the Pre‐oil Gulf: An Historical–Anthropological Study". History and Anthropology. 17 (3): 189–208. doi:10.1080/02757200600813965. S2CID 53984524. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
^"Wealth fund newbie comes into focus in Abu Dhabi's $1 trillion sovereign hub". Gulf Business. 2 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
^"United Arab Emirates". worldstatesmen.org. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
^Gannon, Mo (27 February 2013). "Key figures in the life of Qasr Al Hosn | The National". Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
^Heard-Bey, Frauke (2005). From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates : a society in transition. London: Motivate. p. 49. ISBN 1860631673. OCLC 64689681.
^Lorimer, John (1915). Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. British Government, Bombay. p. 766.
^Joffe, Lawrence (3 November 2004). "Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
^"ABC News Exclusive: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh". ABC News. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
^"UAE princesses guilty of servant abuse in Belgium". BBC. 23 June 2017. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
^"Eight princesses convicted in Belgium for 'inhumane' abuse of servants". The Independent. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.