The House of Nahyan () is the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the six ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. The family is a branch of the House of Al Falahi (Āl Bū Falāḥ), a branch of the Bani Yas tribe. They are related to the House of Al Falasi from which the ruling family of Dubai, the Al Maktoum, descends.
History The House of Nahyan is a branch of the House of Al Falahi (Āl Bū Falāḥ), a branch of the Bani Yas tribe. The Bani Yas came to Abu Dhabi in the 18th century from Liwa Oasis. 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. 21st century The Al Nahyan family controls multiple sovereign wealth funds including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company that have an estimated trillion worth of assets under management. In 2024, the family was ranked second in the list of world's richest families.
Rulers The following Al Nahyan family members have ruled Abu Dhabi:
Genealogy
Controversy The Nahyan family was involved in the criminal Bank of Credit and Commerce International and was its largest investor; the bank collapsed in 1991. According to information from U.S. investigators, the bank allegedly operated a prostitution ring. Bank employees are said to have provided members of the royal family with virgins aged 16 to 20, who were flown in from Pakistan. Some of the prepubescent girls were injured in the process.
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.
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.
See also
Royal families of the United Arab Emirates List of Sunni Muslim dynasties List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates
References