DUBAI, United Arab Emirates– United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan selected his boy as crown prince of Abu Dhabi and raised his siblings to leading positions, in a combination of power that broke from the custom of passing management succession to another bro.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE leader’s oldest boy, is now the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation’s crown prince, efficiently next in line for its management.
The 62- year-old Sheikh Mohammed likewise selected his bro Sheikh Mansour– a long time senior minister, chair of the Mubadala sovereign wealth fund and owner of Manchester City soccer club– as UAE vice president, along with already-sitting Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed’s bro Sheikh Tahnoon, the UAE’s effective nationwide security consultant, was selected deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, as was Sheikh Mohammed’s youngest bro Hazza binZayed Sheikh Tahnoon was currently called chair of the $790 billion Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the emirate’s primary sovereign wealth fund, previously in March.
Developments in the Gulf state are carefully seen on the planet’s significant capitals, as the UAE’s power and impact has actually increased drastically in the previous numerous years– politically, militarily and financially.
The UAE, a federation of 7 sheikhdoms and house to approximately 10 million individuals, some 90% of whom are expats, manages a few of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds. Its armed force is among the most effective and innovative in the area, and it is a leading OPEC member and long time ally of the U.S. while likewise quickly broadening its diplomatic and trade ties with Russia and China.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Victoria Jones – PA Images|PA Images|Getty Images
Sheikh Mohammed ended up being UAE president and Abu Dhabi ruler in May 2022 following the death of his bro Sheikh Khalifa, having actually acted as crown prince and de-facto ruler of the effective Gulf state for several years prior.
In a clear presentation of Sheikh Mohammed’s soft power and international reach, news video footage at the time revealed leading leaders from all over the world lined up to provide acknowledgements and congratulations to the brand-new president in Abu Dhabi, consisting of then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French President Emmanuel Macron.
‘ A master stroke’
Some experts see the president’s relocation as advancing a concentration of power in Emirati capital Abu Dhabi and far from its business capital, Dubai.
“There are now two vice presidents of the UAE, it seems, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid of Dubai and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi,” Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa expert at Rane, composed in a post onTwitter He explained the choice as “formalizing the leverage Abu Dhabi has over Dubai, and how little Dubai will be allowed to say in foreign policy.”
Cinzia Bianco, a research study fellow on Europe and the Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations, explained Sheikh Mohammed’s visit of his boy as “a jump towards the next generation,” including that the relocation did not come as a surprise.
“As expected, MbZ also appointed his prominent brothers to new roles, keeping some power-sharing balance, but only within the Al-Nahyan clan,” she stated, describing Sheikh Mohammed by his initials.
Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum participates in the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 16, 2020.
Christopher Pike|Reuters
Other observers disagree with the recommendations that the relocations have any influence on Dubai’s power or its ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s function.
“The short answer is nonsense,” Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a government teacher at Emirates University, informed CNBC in action to the concern of whether the statements shift power far from Dubai.
Abdulla discussed that this is “because the division of labor has been clear from day one. The state is Abu Dhabi’s responsibility, and the government from day one, and forever, will remain Dubai’s responsibility.”
“This is in the constitution,” he included. “Abu Dhabi is not taking away anything from Dubai’s role and Dubai’s domain. So there is no sidetracking or encroaching or centralization.” The vice governmental function is likewise mainly symbolic, he kept in mind.
Bader Al-Saif, an assistant teacher of history at Kuwait University, concurred.
“The set of decrees are a master stroke because they simply settle different files at once pleasing concerned parties,” he composed in a Twitter post. “Consolidation of power among MBZ’s full siblings is no secret. Today’s decrees reaffirm it.”
Notably, Sheikh Mansour– the brand-new vice president along with Dubai ruler Sheikh Rashid– is likewise Sheikh Rashid’s son-in-law.
“Sharing post w/ his daddy in law isn’t cracking power far from Dxb [Dubai] for 2 factors,” Al-Saif composed. He discussed that Abu Dhabi “consolidated its power a while back. Additional positions won’t provide something already in place.”
He likewise kept in mind that Sheikh Rashid, Dubai’s ruler, is likewise the UAE’s prime minister, which still makes him “above” Sheikh Mansoor, who is a deputy prime minister. The function for Sheikh Mansoor nevertheless still shows his seniority and rewards his years of effort for the state, Al-Saif stated.
“It enhances the Al Nahyan guideline w/ kids ofSh Zayed supporting the stability & & strength of their cumulative guideline in a now lineal design. MBZ [born in 1961] is in shape & & healthy, which provides brand-new [crown prince] sufficient time to get ready for his future function,” Al-Saif composed. “A well-executed mix of decrees.”
