Upon the death of his father, Al-Nayhan became Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in November 2004 and was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in January 2005.
Setelah kematian ayahnya, Al Nayhan menjadi pangeran mahkota Abu Dhabi pada November 2004 dan dilantik menjadi deputi komandan tertinggi pasukan angkatan darat UEA pada Januari 2005.