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United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has named his eldest son Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi as supreme leader of the oil-rich Gulf state Part of a sequence of changes to a layer.
Sheikh Khalid’s appointment as heir apparent was widely expected as he has assumed a more prominent role in recent years, which would end speculation about his successor, especially the possibility of a power struggle.
Sheikh Mohammed also promoted three of his fellow brothers, appointing UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Thanoun and Sheikh Thanoun, who oversees a sprawling business empire, as well as Sheikh Khalid, vice-chairman of Abu Dhabi’s powerful executive council. As the deputy ruler of the emirate.
UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour, best known outside the Gulf for his ownership of English football club Manchester City, has been named the state’s vice president. That means he will fight alongside Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
The changes come almost a year after Sheikh Mohammed, or MBZ, became president of the UAE, the union of seven emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. the death of his half brotherSheikh Khalifa.
With Sheikh Khalifa’s health declining, MBZ has been the Gulf state’s de facto leader for nearly a decade and is considered one of the most influential leaders in the Arab world. Under his leadership, the UAE has pursued a tough foreign policy.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East program at think tank Chatham House, said MBZ had “formalized a number of appointments to show confidence and competence”.
“These initiatives also institutionalize the succession process, which is important to build confidence in the UAE’s continuity and governance model,” she said.
The appointments cemented the influence of MBZ and his five biological brothers, known as “Bani Fatima VI” in reference to their mother.
Abu Dhabi’s new crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan © AFP via Getty Images
Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled, who is in his early 40s, was educated in the US before starting a formal government career in the security service. In recent years, he has held a growing number of senior positions and is a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the capital’s highest decision-making body, and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
His public profile has also been boosted as he launches projects, hosts CEOs of multinational corporations and meets foreign dignitaries.
Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoon was named chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), the emirate’s $790 billion sovereign wealth fund, replacing the late Sheikh Khalifa, a senior post change.
Already one of the most influential figures in the UAE, he chairs state-owned investment firm ADQ, the country’s largest bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and international holding companya listed conglomerate with a market capitalization of approximately US$236 billion.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mansour this month succeeded MBZ as chairman of Mubadala, one of Abu Dhabi’s most active state investment funds, with some $284 billion in assets under management.
Gulf experts said the moves showed MBZ would resign some of his positions as he assumed the presidency and promoted his most trusted lieutenants.
Abu Dhabi is by far the most powerful of the seven emirates that form the federation, each with its own ruling family that guides the UAE’s foreign and defense policy.
MBZ’s appointment comes at a time when Abu Dhabi is enjoying a petrodollar windfall from last year’s oil boom and becoming an increasingly active global investor through its stable of sovereign wealth funds.
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