Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has appointed his eldest son Sheikh Khaled as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Gulf state’s oil-rich capital, and named his brothers to top positions, state media reported on Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohammed appointed his brother Sheikh Mansour as UAE vice president, alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, after serving as president and ruler of the US-allied OPEC oil producer for years.
This appeared to further centralize power in Abu Dhabi, which is the political capital of the UAE federation of seven emirates due to its enormous oil wealth. Dubai is the business and tourism capital of the Gulf.
Sheikh Mohammed also named his other brothers as deputy rulers of Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser who also controls a vast business empire, and Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Cinzia Bianco, the research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, noted on Twitter that by appointing prominent brothers to new positions, he maintained “some power-sharing balance, but only within (Abu Dhabi’s) Al Nahyan clan.”
The selection of Sheikh Khaled as crown prince reflects a trend in most Gulf Arab monarchies, including Saudi Arabia, toward direct lineage – sons over brothers – for succession.
Since Sheikh Mohammed’s father founded the UAE federation in 1971, Abu Dhabi has held the presidency.
Analysts say Sheikh Mohammed, also known as MbZ, had been grooming his son for positions of authority in security – including intelligence – the economy, and governance.
MbZ was de facto ruler for years before taking power following his brother’s death last May, at a time when the UAE’s long-standing ties with the US were strained due to perceived US disengagement from the region.
He led a Middle East realignment when the UAE, along with Bahrain, formed ties with Israel in 2020 to form a new anti-Iran axis in the region, while still engaging with Tehran to contain tensions with an eye on economic priorities.
The UAE has also strengthened relations with Russia and China.
The small country of fewer than 10 million people takes pride in its political and economic stability. It has one of the highest per capita income levels in the world and is home to millions of expatriate workers, who make up the majority of the workforce.
MbZ named Sheikh Khaled as head of Abu Dhabi’s executive council in a separate decree on Wednesday, the latest reshuffle at key entities in the emirate, one of the world’s wealthiest state investors.
Sheikh Tahnoun was appointed chair of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, earlier this month. Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, has appointed Sheikh Mansour as its chairman.
