Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan receives mourners after the death of President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 14, 2022. (United Arab Emirates Ministry of Presidential Affairs/Handout via REUTERS) DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates’ de facto leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan was elected president of the Gulf Arab state by a federal supreme council on Saturday, solidifying his rule over the OPEC oil producer and key regional player. He becomes president at a time when the UAE’s long-standing ties with the United States have been strained over perceived US disengagement from its Gulf allies’ security concerns and as Western countries seek support from the region to help isolate Russia over the Ukraine conflict . The council, which groups the rulers of the seven emirates of the UAE federation, elected Sheikh Mohammed, known as MbZ, a day after the death … [Read more...] about Strongman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is new UAE president
Houthis in yemen
Israeli president presses on with Dubai visit after UAE intercepts missile
Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates January 30, 2022. Mohamed Al Hammadi/Ministry of Presidential Affairs/WAM/Handout via REUTERS DUBAI — Israel’s president spoke at Dubai’s Expo 2020 world fair on Monday on the first presidential visit to the United Arab Emirates, despite the Gulf state overnight saying it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis. The UAE became the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel under a U.S.-brokered normalization agreement, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” in 2020. Gulf neighbor Bahrain then followed. “I hope and I believe that more and more nations will soon follow the UAE lead and join the Abraham Accords,” Isaac Herzog said at an event amid tighter than usual security at the Expo site. The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial post. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the UAE in December. The UAE and … [Read more...] about Israeli president presses on with Dubai visit after UAE intercepts missile
U.S. National Security Leaders Reportedly Headed To UAE With Vice President Harris
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A pantheon of top U.S. national security officials will reportedly accompany Vice President Kamala Harris on a trip that the White House announced Saturday she will make to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, signaling a significant White House effort to ease rising tensions with the small, oil-rich Persian Gulf state after the death of its longtime leader. Key Facts Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA director Bill Burns and the commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Michael Kurilla, among others, will travel to the UAE, according to Axios , following the death Friday of UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who led the country since 2004 and forged close ties with the United States. His half-brother, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was swiftly named the country's new president, but the change appears largely ceremonial since Mohamed began serving as de facto leader … [Read more...] about U.S. National Security Leaders Reportedly Headed To UAE With Vice President Harris