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Zayed building opened at Sandhurst

In memory of the UAE founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has opened the “Zayed Building” at the Royal Military Academy - Sandhurst (RMAS).

The UAE donated AED 880 million to pay for the construction of the building, in recognition of the fact that Sandhurst was one of the first international education institutions to accept UAE students, which it has been doing for four decades. The opening of the building coincides with the 200^th anniversary of Sandhurst’s occupation on its current campus.

Upon arrival at the Academy campus, Shaikh Hamdan was welcomed by Major-General

Timothy Evans, the RMAS Commandant, and a group of senior teaching and administrative staff. He then unveiled the memorial plaque of the building whose design was inspired by the heritage of the UAE. The four entrances of the premises are decorated with the colours of the UAE flag while the main entrance is adorned with seven columns carrying the names of the seven emirates of the UAE Federation.

Shaikh Hamdan, a graduate of the Academy, inspected the building which has two wings of accommodation, each containing 100 rooms, administrative offices, and a library.

He also met with six UAE cadets (four male students and two female students, the latter being the first UAE women to join the academy). So far, more than 210 UAE cadets have graduated from Sandhurst, the largest number of alumni from any country other than the UK.