Prime Minister Trudeau met UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed in 1983

Leaders inspire leaders. When a young Justin Trudeau accompanied his father Pierre, the 15th prime minister of Canada, on a state visit to the UAE in 1983 he met the country’s Founding Father Sheikh Zayed.

It wouldn’t be for another 33 years that Mr Trudeau would follow in the footsteps Sheikh Zayed and his father to lead his country as one of the most progressive prime ministers of Canada.

A photograph of an 11-year-old Trudeau shaking the hand of the late Sheikh emerged last week when Dr Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, shared the image from his archives on Twitter.

A 35-year-old Dr Nusseibeh also seemingly attended the meeting.

Last year, the roles were reversed with the son of Sheikh Zayed, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, visiting Mr Trudeau in Canada. 

Source: The National