UAE president names Abu Dhabi’s son crown prince

this United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday named his son Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, a position that traditionally heralds the oil-rich and powerful Gulf The next presidency of the emirate.

Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed is the eldest son of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. He is a member of the powerful Abu Dhabi Executive Council and the UAE national security agency. The new appointment puts the 43-year-old royal ahead of more established senior Emirati royals among possible successors.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, commonly referred to as “MBZ,” the longtime de facto ruler of the UAE, was named president last May when his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa passed away after years of poor health.

In a further shakeup, the UAE ruler named his brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the UAE’s vice president, joining Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Rashid Al Maktoum fought alongside.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 53, is the owner of Manchester City football club.

Tahnoun bin Zayed, the UAE’s national security adviser, has been named deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, along with the president’s other brother, Hazza bin Zayed.

The security chief, known for his signature aviator sunglasses, is appointment Earlier this month he chaired Abu Dhabi’s $790 billion sovereign wealth fund. Tahnoun already serves as chairman of International Holdings Company (IHC), a sprawling conglomerate with a market cap of $236 billion, bigger than Walt Disney or McDonald’s.

Tahnoun and Mansour are two of six brothers known as Bani Fatima, born of the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his third wife, Sheikha Fatima. UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed is one of them.

In recent years, the UAE’s global influence has continued to expand. Dubai has attracted everyone from Western businessmen and social media influencers to Russian oligarchs. Like its Gulf neighbors Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE has benefited from higher energy prices, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.