Spyker was a Dutch car manufacturer, started in 1880 by coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, but to be able to market the brand better in foreign countries, in 1903 the 'ij' was changed into 'y'. They were originally based in Hilversum but in 1898 moved to Trompenburg, Amsterdam.

In 1898 Spyker manufactured the "Golden Carriage", still in use by the Dutch Queen today.

In 1899 they started building automobiles and in 1900 put their first models on display, two-cylinder 3 hp and 5 hp similar to the Benz. Four-cylinder models were introduced in 1903, along with the six-cylinder Spyker 60 HP, a racer with the world's first ever four-wheel drive car with a single engine^[1] and four-wheel brakes.^[2] An engine with six cylinders was also a world's first.^[3]

The 1905 cars featured a round radiator grille which became a feature of many of the pre war cars. In 1913 the company was having financial problems again and in 1915 was taken over by new owners and renamed Nederlandsche Automobiel en Vliegtuigfabriek Trompenburg (Dutch Car and Aircraft company). Under the new owners, the previous complex model range was simplified and a new car, the 13/30 C1, introduced; sales were disappointing. In 1907, an 18 hp model successfully competed in the Peking to Paris race.

Hendrik-Jan Spijker died in 1907 when the ferry he was on when returning from England sank, and this loss led to the bankruptcy of the original company. A group of investors bought the company and restarted production, but Jacobus Spijker was no longer involved.

During World War I, in which the Netherlands were neutral, they manufactured aeroplanes and aircraft engines.

In 1922 the company went bankrupt again and was acquired by Spyker's distributor in Britain who renamed the company Spyker Automobielfabriek. Production continued and prices dropped but the company continued to decline. Final production was of the C2 two-ton truck and the C4 car which lasted until 1926 when funds finally ran out.

It is estimated total Spyker car production was at most 2000 cars.

In 1999, a new company, Spyker Cars was founded, unrelated to the original company but for the brand name.

Car models[link]

The Golden Carriage with Prince Willem-Alexander, Queen Beatrix, and Princess Máxima

Spyker 60 HP (1903)

Spyker 60 HP (1903)

Spyker C2 truck

Spyker stamps[link]

Both Spyker brand automobiles appear on Dutch postage stamps (first day of issue: May 10, 2004).

The car driven by Kenneth More in the 1953 film Genevieve, about the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, is a 1904 Spyker.

See also[link]

• Spyker Cars

References[link]

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Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan الشيخ زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان
Emir (Prince) and Hakim (Ruler) of Abu Dhabi and Rais (President) of the United Arab Emirates
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on a state visit to Brazil in December 2003: photo by Antônio Milena/ABr
Reign	6 August 1966 – 2 November 2004
Full name	Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
Titles	His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Past President of the United Arab Emirates Ruler of Abu Dhabi
Born	1918
Birthplace	In Al Ain,  Abu Dhabi
Died	2 November 2004 (aged 86)
Place of death	In Al Ain,  Abu Dhabi
Buried	Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, 3 November 2004 (aged 86)
Predecessor	Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Successor	Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Wives	Hassa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Sheikha bint Ma'dhad Al Mashghouni Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi Mouza bint Suhail bin Awaidah Al Khaili Ayesha bint Ali Al Darmaki Amna Al Darmaki
Royal House	House of Al Nahyan
Father	Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Religious beliefs	Islam

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎)‎, (1918 – 2 November 2004), the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was the ruler of Abu Dhabi and first president of the UAE, a post which he held for over 30 years (1971–2004).

Early life[link]

Zayed was the youngest son of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the traditional ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 until his assassination in 1926. Zayed was named after his famous grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ("Zayed the Great"), who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. His eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan, became ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1928 after their uncle, Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was also assassinated. Zayed's mother, Sheikha Salaamah, extracted a promise from her sons not to use violence against each other, a promise which they kept.^[1]

At the time of Zayed's birth, the sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi was one of seven Trucial States along the coast of the lower coast of the Persian Gulf. These territories were in treaty relations with Britain, their rulers having signed a series of maritime truces with the British in the 19th century.^[2]

As Zayed was growing up, there were no modern schools anywhere along the coast. He received only a basic instruction in the principles of Islam, and lived in the desert with Bedouin tribesmen, familiarising himself with the life of the people, their traditional skills and their ability to survive under the harsh climatic conditions.^[3]

Zayed was appointed the governor of the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi in 1946 and was based in the Muwaiji fort in Al Ain. At this time, the area was poor and prone to outbreaks of disease. When survey parties from Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) began exploring for oil in the area, Zayed assisted them.^[4]

In 1952, a small Saudi Arabian force led by Turki bin Abdullah al-Otaishan occupied the village of Hamasa in the Buraimi Oasis (the so-called Buraimi dispute). Zayed was prominent in his opposition to Saudi territorial claims and reportedly rejected a bribe of about £30 million to allow Aramco to explore for oil in the disputed territory. As part of this dispute, Zayed and his brother Hazza attended the Buraimi arbitration tribunal in Geneva in September 1955 and gave evidence to tribual members. When the tribunal was abandoned amid allegations of Saudi bribery, the British initiated the reoccupation of the Buraimi Oasis through a local military force, the Trucial Oman Levies. A period of stability followed during which Zayed helped to develop the region and took a particular interest in the restoration of the falaj system, a network of water channels which kept the plantations of the Buraimi Oasis irrigated and fertile.^[4][5]

The discovery of oil in 1958, and the start of oil exports in 1962, led to frustration among members of the ruling family about the lack of progress under Sheikh Shakhbut’s rule. On 6 August 1966 Shakhbut was deposed in a bloodless palace coup. Although it is not entirely clear from the historical record, the coup appeared to have the full backing of the Al-Nahyan family and the support of the British, with the Trucial Oman Scouts providing safe transport for Sheikh Shakbut out of Abu Dhabi.^[5][6] In 1971, after occasionally difficult negotiations with the other six rulers of the Trucial States, the United Arab Emirates came into being. Zayed was appointed to the presidency of the UAE in 1971 and was reappointed on four more occasions: 1976, 1981, 1986, and 1991.^[7]

In 1974, Zayed apparently settled the outstanding border dispute with Saudi Arabia by the Treaty of Jeddah by which Saudi Arabia received the output of the Shaybah oilfield and access to the lower Persian Gulf in return for recognising the UAE.^[8] He was considered a relatively liberal ruler, and permitted private media. However, they were expected to practice self-censorship and avoid criticism of Zayed or the ruling families. Freedom of worship was permitted, and to a certain extent allowances were made for expatriate cultures, but this did not always sit comfortably in the eyes of the wider Arab world with Zayed's role as a Muslim head of state.^[5]

Attitudes[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

His religious tolerance of Christians and the freedom given Western workers sojourning in the UAE was in marked contrast to most neighbors in the region and exposed him to criticism from other more conservative nations. Sheikh Zayed was respected around the world^{[citation needed]} for his unifying influence and his drive to make the Emirates one nation. His calls for cooperation extended across Persian Gulf to Iran. Sheikh Zayed advocated dialogue as the means to settle the row with Tehran over three strategic Persian Gulf islands which Iran seized from the (future) UAE Emirate of Sharjah in 1971, though the islands remain in Iranian hands, despite over three decades of UAE diplomatic initiatives.

Zayed did not shy away from controversy when it came to expressing his opinion on current events in the Arab world. Troubled by the suffering of Iraqi civilians^{[citation needed]}, he took the lead in calling for lifting sanctions on Iraq imposed by the United Nations in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, despite Kuwaiti displeasure and opposition.

Zayed was considered one of the wealthiest men in the world. A Forbes magazine estimate put his fortune at around USD 20 billion^[9]. The source of this wealth could be almost exclusively attributed to the immense oil wealth of Abu Dhabi and the Emirates, which sit on a pool of a tenth of the world's proven oil reserves. Nevertheless he chose to live a relatively modest and traditional lifestyle, riding and hunting with falcons, though he gave up hunting with firearms, a sport at which he excelled, to set an example for wildlife conservation in his fragile desert homeland. He was personally popular, and was regarded to be considerably pious in his religious observances.^{[citation needed]}

Policies and charity[link]

At the time the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf in 1971, Zayed oversaw the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development; through its oil riches were channeled to some forty less fortunate Islamic nations in Asia and Africa during the decades that followed. He is also remembered as "the man who turned the desert green," because he invested oil revenues into projects to improve the harsh desert environment.

Using the country's enormous oil revenues, Zayed built up institutions such as hospitals, schools and universities and made it possible for UAE citizens to enjoy free access to them. He also decreed that the State would undertake the cost of foreign health care for those families unable to afford it. Other charitable acts included adopting hundreds of orphans and building several hospitals abroad in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

When asked by the New York Times in April 1997 why there is no elected parliamentary democracy, Zayed replied,

“Why should we abandon a system that satisfies our people in order to introduce a system that seems to engender dissent and confrontation? Our system of government is based upon our religion and that is what our people want. Should they seek alternatives, we are ready to listen to them. We have always said that our people should voice their demands openly. We are all in the same boat, and they are both the captain and the crew. Our doors are open for any opinion to be expressed, and this well known by all our citizens. It is our deep conviction that Allah has created people free, and has prescribed that each individual must enjoy freedom of choice. No one should act as if they own others. Those in the position of leadership should deal with their subjects with compassion and understanding, because this is the duty enjoined upon them by Allah, who enjoins upon us to treat all living creatures with dignity. How can there be anything less for mankind, created as Allah's vicegerent (khalif or Caliphate)(this is a translation error, what sheikh zayid meant by calipha does not mean ruler, he is describing humans on earth are the caliphas of god meaning succesors not head of state) on earth? Our system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in our religion and is based on Allah's Book, the Quran. What need have we of what others have conjured up? Its teachings are eternal and complete, while the systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete.”^[10][11]

Land was also often distributed gratis. However, whilst this policy benefited many landless families, enormously wealthy clans and individuals were given free land grants in proportion to their status and influence with the royal family. His majlis (a traditional Arab consultation council) was open to the public, and as well as discussing national and personal issues, he enjoyed hearing people's opinions on poetry, as well as recitals by new and young poets. His tolerance towards other people and their faiths was evident, and he allowed the building of religious buildings such as churches and temples. This action in particular helped his image with the vast multitudes of expatriate workers who make up approximately three quarters of the population of the UAE. Zayed was also an advocate for the education and participation of women in the work force, within traditional parameters. His views regarding women's rights were considerably more liberal than his contemporaries in the GCC nations.

Collapse of BCCI[link]

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In 1972, Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani banker who had set up a new bank called Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), approached Zayed for investment. Abedi had previously set up the United Bank of Pakistan in 1959, which became a leading nationalized bank in 1971. Zayed fronted the majority of the investment for the BCCI. Bank of America (25%) and the CIA allegedly invested, too. It is claimed that the CIA was seeking a funding route for the mujahideen in Afghanistan, similar to the Investors Overseas Service and the Nugen Hand Bank in the 1960s.

By 1977, the bank was almost insolvent. It took on the attributes of a Ponzi scheme, as it funded its operating expenses by deposits it received, rather than by returns from investments it made. In eight years, it reported assets of over $4 billion with over 150 branches in 46 countries. Bank of America reduced its shares, while holding companies in Abu Dhabi took on a controlling block.

In 1990, an audit of the BCCI by Price Waterhouse revealed an unaccountable loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. The bank approached Sheikh Zayed, who funded the loss in exchange for increasing his share to 78% of the bank. The bank was shut down in 1991 by the Bank of England. At the time Zayed's shareholding was 77%.^[12]

In December 1991, further investigation found layers of criminal activity taking place through the bank. The law enforcement in the U.S. established the BCCI as an organized crime syndicate^{[citation needed]}. Although Sheikh Zayed was not directly mentioned during interrogations, other family members were implicated in the criminal activity tied to the bank^{[citation needed]}. The investigation found evidence of bribery, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, and support of terrorism.^[13] See: CIA Reading Room Document of William Kerr dated October 25, 1991 for details of Iran Contra and El Salvador links.

Zayed Center[link]

Controversy over the opinions of the Zayed Center caused the Harvard Divinity School to return Sheikh Zayed's $2.5 million gift to the institution in 2000 as "tainted money." Former United States president Jimmy Carter accepted the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, 2001. The award included a monetary prize of $500,000 from the Zayed Center, and Carter stated in his acceptance that this award meant a lot to him, since it was named after his personal friend, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan.^[14]

There was similar controversy when the London School of Economics accepted a large donation by the Zayed Center, to build a new lecture theatre in the New Academic Building in 2008.^[15] Despite student protests^{[citation needed]}, the gift was accepted with the Sheik Zayed Theatre being the second largest lecture hall on the campus.

Harvard's equivocation, the Carter controversy, and the engendering negative publicity, prompted Sheikh Zayed to shut down the center in August 2003, saying that the Zayed Center "had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance."^[16]

Final years[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 1999, while he was in a hospital for some tests, the people of the UAE wrote him a personal thank-you letter with 1.5 million signatures. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2000 at the Cleveland Clinic in the U.S.

On 2 November 2004, Zayed died, as announced by Abu Dhabi TV. He was believed to be 86 years old. He is buried in the courtyard of the new Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

His eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, born in 1948, took an increasing role in the government from the 1990s; he was ratified as the Ruler of the United Arab Emirates by his fellow rulers on the Supreme Council directly after his father's death.

Shaikh Zayed International Airport located at Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan is named in his honor. There is also a lecture theatre named in his honour at the London School of Economics.

Children[link]

• With Sheikha Hassa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
  • Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1948)
  • Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1953)
  • Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1961)
  • Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1963)
  • Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1965)
  • Tahnoun bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
  • Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1970)
  • Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1972)
  • Alyazia bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Shamma bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1968–2010)
  • Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Shamsa bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Afra bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1966)
  • Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Dhiab bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Latifa bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Mouza bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Wadeema bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Sheikha bint Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  • Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1967–2008)
  • Roda bint Zayed Al Nahyan

See also[link]

	United Arab Emirates portal
	Biography portal

• Champions of the Earth, 2005 award by United Nations Environment Programme
• Sheikh Zayed lecture theatre, in the London School of Economics

v t e Presidents of the United Arab Emirates Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan • Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

v t e  United Arab Emirates topics History Origins Portuguese Control British and Ottoman rule 1892 Treaty Border Disputes Trucial States Council Formation and Independence Sheikh Zayed, Oil, and the Union Death of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Modern United Arab Emirates Politics Emirates Federal National Council Military of the United Arab Emirates President Prime Minister Rulers Elections 2006 election Foreign relations Foreign Aid Law Human Rights LGBT rights Hizb ut-Tahrir Geography Cities Towns and Villages Climate Resources and land use Environmental concerns Land Disputes Economy Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates Tourism External Trade Diversification Dubai Financial Market Demographics List of United Arab Emiratis (Emirati people) Language Education Religion Health Human rights Women Sunni Muslim Shi'a Muslim Culture Emirati people Architecture Food Literature and poetry Emirati writers Music Cinema Sport Transport Highways Railways Ports and Harbors Airlines Water Transport Communication Radio and Television Telecommunication Companies Media Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Internet domain Tourism Hotels in the United Arab Emirates Visitor Attractions Resorts in the United Arab Emirates Crime Symbols Flag Coat of arms National anthem Animal Bird Flower Tree Sport Dress Topics Portal

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sheikh Zayed's website
• CooperativeResearch - Zayid bin Sultan Al Nahyan
• Official UAE tribute to Sheikh Zayed
• Biography at Brazil Embassy

{{Persondata | NAME = Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Sheikh of Abu Dhabi | DATE OF BIRTH = 1918 | PLACE OF BIRTH = In [[Al Ain]دار ازين], | DATE OF DEATH = 2 November 2004 | PLACE OF DEATH = In Abu Dhabi }}