UAE President Appoints Eldest Son Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

The ruler of Abu Dhabi has traditionally been the president of the Emirati state since its founding in 1971. The new crown prince is therefore destined to one day become the head of the federation of the Emirates.

The UAE’s current leader Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan [MBZ] was named crown prince when his father died in November 2004 and his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa became both president of the Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. Following a stroke, Sheikh Khalifa retained his official titles while MBZ became the de facto leader of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan officially became president of the Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi when Sheikh Khalifa died in May 2022.