World leaders visit UAE to greet new ruler, mourn Sheikh Khalifa By Reuters May 16, 2022, 7:51 AM UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs/Handout via Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron meets the newly-elected president of the United Arab Emirates World leaders arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to offer condolences on the death of President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who has been succeeded by his half-brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Sheikh Mohamed, now ruler of Abu Dhabi, had been de facto leader of the Western-allied Gulf state, an OPEC oil producer and regional business hub, for years. He was chosen as the UAE’s third president by a federal supreme council on Saturday. Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, met the new leader of the emirate at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi. In pictures: Sheikh Khalifa laid to rest in Abu Dhabi President Emmanuel Macron of France, whose country holds lucrative business and military ties with the UAE, arrived in Abu Dhabi and paid tribute to Sheikh Khalifa’s “values of peace, openness and dialogue” on Twitter. Naftali Bennett, the prime minister of Israel, with which the UAE forged ties two years ago in a major realignment of the Middle East, was also due to arrive on Sunday. He tweeted his congratulations to Sheikh Mohamed. I congratulate my friend, H.H. @MohamedBinZayed on becoming President of the UAE.I am confident that his leadership will continue the legacy of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. I look forward to continue working together towards a better future for our peoples & region.🇮🇱🇦🇪— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) May 15, 2022 The United States will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is due to visit on Monday. Several Arab leaders, including the king of Jordan and the president of Egypt, paid their respects on Saturday. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, whose father King Salman was admitted to hospital a week ago, sent a delegation.
