The United Arab Emirates’ rulers announced on Saturday that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been named president of the hereditarily ruled nation on the Arabian Peninsula.
The decision was made at a meeting of the rulers of the country’s seven sheikhdoms, according to the state-run WAM news agency.
It comes following the death on Friday of former President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Mohammed, popularly known as MbZ, was elected by the council of the seven emirates of the UAE federation a day after his half-brother, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who was also ruler of Abu Dhabi, died.
“We congratulate him and pledge allegiance to him as do our people…and the entire country will follow his leadership to glory,” Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also UAE vice-president and premier, said in a Twitter post.
MbZ, 61, had been in charge for years during a time when Sheikh Khalifa had been afflicted by illness, including a stroke in 20
He takes office at a time when the UAE’s long-standing ties with the US have been visibly strained due to the US’s perceived withdrawal from the security concerns of its Gulf partners.
MbZ oversaw a Middle East realignment that included the formation of a new anti-Iran axis with Israel. He also enhanced the UAE’s military prowess, which, along with its oil wealth and role as a business centre, helped the Emiratis expand their influence in the region and beyond.
The Inputs Taken From CNBC
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
