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Synopsis

The sayings of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - May God have mercy on him - are not a mere expression of traditional matters, but a creative force that underpins a leading knowledge moulded into a peculiar linguistic style revealing the depth and the diversity of his experience. The leader’s deep understanding of the Islamic thought, familiarity with the intellectual Arabic tradition, and broad view of the human knowledge, greatly influenced his own perception of the world.

“Knight of the Desert” is a modest attempt to break through the surface and reveal the cognitive depth and the philosophical and psychological dimensions of fully symbolic sayings despite their simple articulation. The objective of the study is to highlight the dialogue between Sheikh Zayed’s ideas and the philosophy of great intellectuals such as Jean Paul Sartre, Voltaire, Descartes etcetera. It analyses the intellectual convictions and philosophical directions that define the stance of the founding leader on the world and on life itself.

Although the statements feed on the philosophy of existence, the reader does not need any sophisticated knowledge to access their epistemological depth. The leader addressed people of different intellectual and social strata and did not talk to the elite only. Hence, he avoided ambiguity and used the simple, yet challenging, discourse in an attempt to bridge the gap between him and his compatriots.