UAE President appoints his eldest son Sheikh Khalid as Crown Prince

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday nominated his eldest son Sheikh Khaled as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the Gulf nation, as well as his siblings to high positions.

As per Arab media reports, Prince Mohammed appointed his brother Sheikh Mansour to serve as vice president of the UAE alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum last year after years of leading the US-allied OPEC oil giant.

Sheikh Mohammed appointed his other brothers, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan the national security adviser of the UAE who oversees a vast financial empire, and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan as deputy monarch of Abu Dhabi.

According to Cinzia Bianco, a research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, “He maintained some power-sharing balance, but mainly inside (Abu Dhabi’s) Al Nahyan clan by appointing important brothers to new positions.”

Sheikh Khaled was appointed as president of Abu Dhabi’s executive council by MbZ in a separate decision on Wednesday, marking the most recent restructuring at significant organizations in the emirate, one of the richest state investors in the world.

Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoun was appointed chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds worldwide. Sheikh Mansour was also appointed to the position of chairman of the second-largest sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi, Mubadala.