UAE president names son as crown prince – Newspaper

DUBAI: The president of the United Arab Emirates named his eldest son the crown prince of Abu Dhabi late on Wednesday, making him the likely next leader of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy and consolidating his family’s power.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan named his jiu-jitsu-loving son Sheikh Khaled, 41, the richest emirate in the UAE Crown Prince – a position traditionally held by the leader-designate.

It is the biggest political reshuffle since Sheikh Mohammed, 62, sometimes called “MBZ” and the UAE’s longtime de facto ruler, became president last May following the death of his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa Sheikh Khalifa has been absent for many years due to ill health.

MBZ’s brother Manchester City FC owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed became vice-president, joining Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the role.

Two other brothers of the president – Tahnoun bin Zayed and Hazza bin Zayed, UAE national security adviser and chairman of ADQ sovereign wealth fund – became deputy rulers of Abu Dhabi, which controls most of the country’s oil reserves.

MBZ’s ascension to the presidency last year sparked speculation about who would succeed him as Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, with Sheikh Khalid and Tahnoun both expected to take the honor.

The UAE, one of the world’s top oil producers and an ally of the United States, Russia and China, has emerged as a major power in the Middle East as traditional heavyweights such as Egypt and Iraq have retreated in recent years.

Posted by Dawn on March 31, 2023