When the advance teams of companies surveying the desert for oil arrived, Sheikh Zayed was assigned the task of guiding them across the desert. He thus had his first encounter with the totally new realities of the industrial world that he became more and more deeply involved with later on in life, as it gradually and persistently transformed the country beyond recognition

Having distinguished himself, he was the obvious to fill the vacancy of the Ruler's representative in the oasis of Al-Ain, a cluster of villages at the time and now a bustling city of 200,000 inhabitants and home of the UAE's main university.

Edward Henderson, one of the early oil company representatives described him as " handsome, with humorous and intelligent eyes, of presence and bearing, simply dressed and clearly a man of action and resolution". To Wilfred Thesiger, the world famous explorer, he was " like the head of a big family always available to listen to the problems of people... his judgements distinguished by their astute insight, wisdom and fairness". Sheikh Zayed was fully aware that consultation and mediation are essential matters of life. He became a skilled practitioner of both at an early stage of his life.

His experience during the Buraimi dispute in the late 1940s and early 1950s provided a good grounding in politics. Anthony Shepherd, an officer of the British peacekeeping force that had units based in Al-Ain remembered him as a man who " would always describe the local political situation to me in an excellent manner. I always came to him with great respect and left him with even greater respect".

One of his key tasks at the time was to develop Al-Ain itself. He restored the ages - old subterranean water channels (Al Aflaj) and built new ones, thus stimulating agriculture. In a foretaste of the yet-to-come massive countrywide afforestation program, he planted ornamental trees that, now grown to maturity, make Al-Ain one of the greenest cities in Arabia. He succeeded during his twenty years in Al-Ain to develop the area well beyond all expectations, barring, of course, his own. The British political agent, Sir Hugh Bourstead, was astonished that "everything he managed to accomplish in Al-Ain and the surrounding areas was for the benefit of the people".

Upon ascending to power in 1966 as ruler of Abu Dhabi, he called upon all seven Trucial States to join in a federation as " the way to power, the way to strength, the way to well - being ", Following his words by action, he donated substantial funds to the " Trucial States Development Council " By 1968, Abu Dhabi was the Fund's largest donor.

As the leader now responsible for the whole federation, he was quite aware of the rapid changes in all walks of life brought about by the discovery of oil and the resulting rapid increase in wealth and population. He saw how the resulting urban sprawl, modern roads and highways, mechanized transport of all sorts have played havoc with

As a devout Muslim, his faith teaches him that man holds nature in trust and not as a possession. He holds it as custodian and not as owner. It is his religious duty if he were to be true to his faith, to honor this trust and fulfil this sacred duty without greed or selfishness. A good Muslim has to leave his environment to next generations at least as he received it, if not better. To a true Muslim, "sustainable development" is a good deal more than a mantra proclaimed by the Brundtland report of 1987, it has long been an article of faith.

Realizing that an educated population is one that will most likely grasp the significance of environmental protection in a social scene that is changing at breakneck speed, he allocated major investments to education. He insisted that good education should be available to women as well as men. He was richly rewarded and remarked recently: "We sowed our seeds yesterday and today the fruit has already begun to appear. We praise God for the role that women play in our society… What women have accomplished in the Emirates in only a short span of time makes me both happy and content".

Sheikh Zayed devotes some time to follow the work in progress

Development activities touched all aspects of life in the Emirates, from roads to airports, from health and social services to housing. Agriculture and afforestation, in particular, were also part of his main concerns. Over 100,000 hectares were brought under the plough, 100 million trees were planted to hold back sand encroachment. His dream of a greener and more pleasant land was eventually realized

All the more remarkable is his concern, going back to some quarter of a century, for wildlife. He recognized that uncontrhunting posed a serious threat to wildlife. He pushed through federal legislation outlawing hunting throughout the country and established the " Higher Environmental Council " to ensure preservation of the country's flora and fauna.

On his own island reserve of Sir Bani Yas, Sheikh Zayed created a sanctuary for endangered species like the Arabian Oryx and the sand gazelle. The Environmental Research and Wild life Development Agency (ERWDA) was established for the " enhancement of sustainable development of Abu Dhabi wild life and environment".

Recently, Sheikh Zayed funded establishing the Chair of Environmental Sciences bearing his name in the Arabian Gulf University, the Gulf States regional university located in Bahrain.

He supported starting the "Abu Dhabi Islands Archeological Survey " (ADIAS) pointing out that until the young generations understand " how past generations were able to cope with life here, they will certainly not understand the present nor what lies ahead for them in the future".

It comes as no surprise that the leader holding such views and pushing through such achievements should be recognised and honored worldwide. He was voted the First Environment Patron's Prize, in recognition of his efforts and contribution to afforestation and establishment of nature reserves.