Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Becomes UAE President After Brother’s Death

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Provides visits by Johnson, Harris, and other leaders

The UAE’s extensive-time de facto ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was named as president on Saturday, confirming his rise to ability a day immediately after the demise of previous chief Sheikh Khalifa.

The 61-12 months-old, who has run the oil-rich Gulf condition from behind the scenes due to the fact his fifty percent-brother was sidelined by sick health in 2014, was “unanimously elected” by rulers of the country’s 7 emirates, the official WAM news agency mentioned.

His ascension was extensively expected. It came just after he led funeral prayers and aided have the system of Sheikh Khalifa, 73, who was buried at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen cemetery right after a easy ceremony on Friday.

Sheikh Mohamed now usually takes formal handle of the desert nation of 10 million — most of them expatriates — whose profile has been steadily rising.

He also succeeded Sheikh Khalifa as ruler of Abu Dhabi, which sits on 90 per cent of the United Arab Emirates’ oil prosperity.

US President Joe Biden congratulated his “lengthy-time mate” and Russian President Vladimir Putin also welcomed his appointment. Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who visited the UAE in March, sent a gushing tribute.

Beneath the very low-vital direction of Sheikh Mohamed, the third son of founding president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE has put a gentleman into space, sent a probe to Mars and opened its initial nuclear reactor, although utilizing its oil-funded clout to build a additional assertive overseas plan.

Intently allied with Saudi Arabia, it has emerged as a leader of a reshaped Middle East given that the retreat of common Arab powers and the minimized involvement of the United States, forging ties with Israel and signing up for a Saudi-led war from Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

As Sheikh Mohamed took office environment, flags were being at 50 %-mast close to the UAE and corporations and governing administration workplaces shut for a few times as the place enters a 40-working day period of time of mourning for Sheikh Khalifa, who had dominated given that 2004.

Photographs of the late sheikh stared down from billboards and road symptoms on key highways. His dying drew condolences from Biden, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Israel’s Primary Minister Naftali Bennett and Iran, demonstrating the UAE’s numerous allegiances.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is to travel to Abu Dhabi on Sunday to pay out tribute to the late Emirati chief and exhibit assistance for the new president, his office environment announced.

British Key Minister Boris Johnson will also check out on Sunday, adopted by US Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday. Israel’s president and the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Oman are among the some others to make the journey.

The UAE, a previous British protectorate, has gone from desert outpost to booming point out in its small historical past, fuelled by its oil prosperity and Dubai’s rise as a trading and monetary centre.

Sheikh Mohamed, frequently known as “MBZ”, took a major job after Sheikh Khalifa retreated from community view in 2014, when he experienced surgery after a stroke. The trigger of his dying was not declared.

Sheikh Mohamed, who was crown prince of Abu Dhabi from November 2004, has also been serving as deputy commander of the armed forces and chairman of the Government Council of Abu Dhabi, which controls the emirate’s substantial funds.

The new president is possible to experience increased competitiveness to the UAE’s position as the regional fiscal hub, particularly from Saudi Arabia, and could toughen its stance on Iran, analysts say.

But “functionally it variations minor MBZ has been working the exhibit just about from the get-go”, tweeted Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at Stratfor Worldview.