President of the United Arab Emirates
The president of the United Arab Emirates, or the Raʾīs (), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The president and vice-president are elected every five years by the Federal Supreme Council. Though the UAE prime minister is formally appointed by the president, every UAE vice-president simultaneously serves as prime minister. Usually, a sheikh from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi holds the presidency and a sheikh from the Emirate of Dubai holds the vice-presidency and premiership. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the UAE's founding father  and widely credited with unifying the seven emirates into one country. He was the UAE's first president, from the UAE's founding until his death on 2 November 2004. On the following day the Federal Supreme Council elected his son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the post. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the UAE Armed Forces.