Dubai -Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates, was elected president of the Gulf Arab state on Saturday by a federal supreme council. This makes him even more powerful in the country, which is a major oil producer and a key player in the region.
The council, which is made up of the leaders of the UAE’s seven emirates, chose Sheikh Mohammed, also known as MbZ, a day after his half-brother, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who also ran Abu Dhabi, died.
In a Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) post, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also UAE vice-president and premier, said, “We congratulate him and pledge allegiance to him, as do our people.” The whole country will follow his lead to glory. “
MbZ, who is 61 years old, had already been in charge for years when Sheikh Khalifa was sick and had a stroke in 2014.
He becomes president at a time when the UAE’s long-standing ties with the U.S. have been clearly strained by what many think is a lack of interest by the U.S. in the security needs of its Gulf allies.
MbZ led a change in the Middle East that put Israel on a new side against Iran. He also made the UAE’s military stronger, which, along with its oil wealth and status as a business hub, helped spread Emirati power in the region and beyond.