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United Arab Emirates leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan named his eldest son Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and his brother to the top job.
Mr Mohammad has been grooming his son for positions of authority in security, intelligence, economics and governance.
He appointed his brother Sheikh Mansour as vice president of the UAE, alongside Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohamed also appointed his brothers Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan as deputy rulers of Abu Dhabi . Mr Tahnoun is the UAE’s national security adviser and controls a sprawling business empire.
Mr Tahnoun is chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which has assets worth $790 billion, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
Cinzia Bianco, a visiting scholar at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the appointment of a second vice president for the first time showed that Abu Dhabi was trying to centralize power “in an inclusive way”.
“The overall aim of all these appointments is to achieve centralization without unduly disrupting the unity and division within the different royal houses in the UAE,” she said.
Ms Bianco added: “The UAE president wants his family to hold important positions in Abu Dhabi, because leadership in Abu Dhabi means leadership in the entire country.”
Abu Dhabi has held the presidency since Mr Mohammed’s father founded the UAE Federation in 1971.
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