Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince named as Sheikh Khaled by UAE President

The United Arab Emirates President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has appointed his eldest son, Sheikh Khaled, as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the UAE. State media reported that Sheikh Mohammed named his brothers to top roles, with Sheikh Mansour becoming UAE Vice President, and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed as deputy rulers of Abu Dhabi. The appointments appeared to centralize power in Abu Dhabi, which is the political capital and the wealthiest of the UAE’s seven emirates.

 

Cinzia Bianco, a research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, stated on Twitter that by appointing prominent brothers to new roles, Sheikh Mohammed maintained ‘some power-sharing balance, but only within (Abu Dhabi’s) Al Nahyan clan.’ The choice of Sheikh Khaled as crown prince reflects a trend across most Gulf Arab monarchies towards direct lineage for succession, including in Saudi Arabia.

 

Sheikh Mohammed, known as MbZ, had been grooming his son for positions of authority in security, economy, and governance, analysts say. MbZ was the de facto ruler for years before assuming power following the death of his brother last May, at a time when the UAE’s longstanding ties with the United States were strained over perceived U.S. disengagement from the region.

The UAE has been forging ties with other major world powers such as Russia and China while maintaining a strategic alliance with the United States. In 2020, the UAE, along with Bahrain, forged ties with Israel to create a new anti-Iran axis in the region, while still engaging with Tehran to contain tensions with an eye on economic priorities.

 

The UAE is known for its political and economic stability and has one of the world’s highest per-capita income levels. The country is home to millions of expatriate workers who make up the bulk of the workforce. Sheikh Khaled was also appointed as the 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. Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoun was named the chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, while Sheikh Mansour was named chairman of Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s second-biggest sovereign wealth fund.