ABU DHABI — Sheikh
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected as UAE president on Saturday, official media said, a day
after the death of former leader Sheikh Khalifa.
اضافة اعلان
The 61-year-old
was unanimously elected by the Federal Supreme Council, WAM news agency said,
becoming the ruler of the oil-rich country founded by his father in 1971.
Sheikh Mohamed, often known as “MBZ”, met members of
the Federal Supreme Council, made up of rulers of the
UAE’s seven emirates, as
the country enters a period of mourning for his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa.
Sheikh Mohamed’s ascension, which was widely
expected, formalises his position as leader of the desert state of 10 million
after years of calling the shots while Sheikh Khalifa was sidelined by poor
health.
Under his low-key direction, the United Arab
Emirates has put a man into space, sent a probe to Mars and opened its first
nuclear reactor, while using its oil-funded clout to develop a more assertive
foreign policy.
Closely allied with
Saudi Arabia, it has emerged as
a leader of a reshaped Middle East since the retreat of traditional Arab powers
and the reduced involvement of the US, forging ties with Israel and joining a
war against Iran-backed militants in Yemen.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to offer
his congratulations, saying his election would “help reinforce the friendly
relations” between the two countries.
Official media had already named Sheikh Mohamed as
the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s richest emirate, on Friday, inheriting one of
the main titles held by Sheikh Khalifa who died at 73.
‘Running the show’
Sheikh Mohamed, wearing a
light grey kandura or robe, was a pall-bearer at the funeral prayers for Sheikh
Khalifa who was laid to rest in
Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Cemetery just hours after
his death was announced, in accordance with Muslim tradition.
Flags are at half-mast around the UAE and businesses
and government offices are closed for three days as the country enters a 40-day
period of mourning for Sheikh Khalifa, who had ruled since 2004.
Sheikh Khalifa’s death drew condolences from world
leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Israel’s
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and Iran, demonstrating the UAE’s diverse
allegiances.
France’s
President Emmanuel Macron is to travel to
Abu Dhabi on Sunday to pay tribute to the late Emirati leader and show support
for the new president, his office announced. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
Al-Sisi is also headed to the UAE, along with Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel
Fattah Al-Burhan.
Neighboring Saudi Arabia has put sports and
entertainments on hold and several countries have announced periods of
mourning.
Sheikh Mohamed, who was named crown prince of Abu
Dhabi in November 2004, is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan
— the revered founder of the UAE.
He has been serving as deputy commander of the armed
forces and chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, which controls the
substantial finances of the emirate which sits on 90 percent of the country’s
oil production.
The UAE, a former British protectorate, has gone
from desert outpost to booming state in its short history, fueled by its oil
wealth and Dubai’s rise as a trading and financial center.
Sheikh Mohamed took a prominent role after
Sheikh Khalifa retreated from public view in 2014, when he had surgery after a stroke.
The cause of his death was not announced.
The new president is likely to face greater
competition to UAE’s status as the regional financial hub, particularly from
Saudi Arabia, and may toughen its stance on Iran, analysts say.
But “functionally it changes little; MBZ has been running
the show almost from the get go”, tweeted Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at
Stratfor Worldview.
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