United Arab Emirates: Mohammed bin Zayed succeeds Sheikh Khalifa

Emmanuel Macron will travel to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) on Sunday May 15 to pay tribute to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who died on Friday May 13 at the age of 73. It will be for the French president to express his support for his successor and half-brother Mohammed ben Zayed. “He was unanimously elected by the Grand Council of the Federation and it’s not really a surprise, because he had already ruled the country de facto since 2014, when his half-brother was the victim of a AVC and was therefore no longer able to carry out his function”explains Alexandre Hébert, from the writing of franceinfo.

“Mohammed bin Zayed is the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates, which has a population of 10 million. He is considered today as one of the most powerful Arab and world leaders. Yet he is controversial, especially because of the war he has been waging in Yemen since 2015”, he continues. But you should know that there are very close ties between Paris and the oil absolute monarchy. “The United Arab Emirates is France’s second economic partner in the region, just behind Saudi Arabia”further specifies the journalist, who notes that “The Emirates is also a military ally in the region. There is a permanent military base in Abu Dhabi, which contains approximately 400 soldiers”.