House of Nahyan

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House of Nahyan (Arabic: آل نهيان) is the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and one of the six ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. They come from the Al Falahi branch of the Bani Yas tribe and are related to Dubai’s ruling family, the Al Maktoum.

Origin and rule
The Nahyan line goes back to 1761, founded by Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan (who died in 1793). They moved from Liwa Oasis to Abu Dhabi in the 18th century and have ruled Abu Dhabi since 1793, after previously ruling Liwa. The early years were unstable, with five rulers overthrown and eight killed in coups between 1793 and 1966.

Wealth and influence
The Al Nahyan family controls major sovereign wealth funds, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala, with assets worth about $1 trillion. In 2024 they were ranked as the second-richest family in the world. The current ruler of Abu Dhabi is Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Notable incidents
In 2009, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed faced allegations of torturing a man. In 2017, several Emirati princesses from the Al Nahyan family were found guilty in Belgium over mistreatment of servants, relating to events around 2007–2008.