“If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think we’d be enjoying the life we have today,” said Saleh Abdulla Lootah.
If not for the vision and leadership of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, the nation would not be where it is today, writes Emirati businessman Saleh Abdulla Lootah in his new book.
Drawing on Sheikh Zayed’s enduring influence on Emirati society, Lootah pays tribute to the late leader and highlights key lessons that other business leaders can learn and apply.
“If it weren’t for him, I don’t think we would be enjoying the life we have today,” he said.
Great leaders may come and go, but few leave a legacy that endures for decades. This idea forms the core of Emirati entrepreneur Saleh Abdulla Lootah’s newly launched book, ‘Authentic Leadership – Invaluable Lessons from the Life and Natural Leadership Style of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’.
The book delves into Sheikh Zayed’s unique leadership approach, a subject Lootah spent over two years researching.
“Writing about Sheikh Zayed is a very difficult task because it’s hard to capture everything he’s done for us,” Lootah told Khaleej Times during his book launch on Monday. “If it weren’t for him, I don’t think we would be enjoying the life we have today.”
Lootah’s book explores Sheikh Zayed’s team-building skills, succession planning, dedication, and negotiation prowess, among other leadership qualities.
Lootah hails from a prominent business family; his uncle Saeed bin Ahmed Lootah founded the world’s first Islamic bank, Dubai Islamic Bank. Lootah himself is chairman of Lootah Holding, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, logistics, construction, digital solutions, and home interiors.
Sheikh Zayed’s legacy
Sheikh Zayed was just 29 when he became Ruler Representative of the eastern region of the Emirates, including Al Ain. Two decades later, he ascended as the ruler of Abu Dhabi, transforming the emirate into a thriving global hub for business and tourism. He is widely celebrated for uniting previously quarrelling tribes and for ushering in wealth and prosperity for the country’s citizens.
The late Sheikh Zayed once remarked, “The new generation should be aware of the suffering of their ancestors. This awareness will provide them with drive, firmness, and solidarity to complete the epic of construction and development.”
Before the oil wealth arrived, the UAE faced limited infrastructure and scarce funds. When the first barrel was produced, Sheikh Zayed had to work twice as hard to implement policies that would benefit both the emirate and the country.
“My concern is that the coming generation doesn’t fully grasp this,” Lootah said.
He added that the challenges the UAE faces today pale in comparison to those of the past, when resources were far more limited. “Now we are more educated, we have resources, we have means,” he explained. “Back then, everything was very fragile. This is what I tried to capture in Sheikh Zayed’s life—how he made decisions, how he dedicated himself to his responsibilities, and how he negotiated to achieve results.”
