From UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to French President Emmanuel Macron, an array of world leaders from countries across the world travelled to the United Arab Emirates to offer their condolences for the demise of President His Highness President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Their visit to the Emirati capital is seen as a massive reflection of Abu Dhabi and the federation’s late ruler’s influence in the Arab World and the West.
Taking to Twitter, the French President stated that the late Sheikh Khalifa was respected by all for his values of peace, openness and dialogue.”
World praises for MbZ
As part of their visit, world leaders also congratulated Sheikh Khalifa’s successor and his brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he took charge of the Emirati leadership. A recent report by the Associated Press underlined the massive influence Sheikh Mohamed has in the wider Middle East, thanks to “his longtime relationship with the US military, his opposition to Islamists and the UAE’s new peace ties with Israel.”
The AP report admired Sheikh Mohamed as a global symbol and praised his mystique and young persona that set him apart from his fellow leaders in the region.
“MbZ is a leader not just in the UAE, but more broadly in the Middle East, where he is seen as a particularly dynamic member of the generation succeeding the geriatric cases who have dominated the region for decades,” the report quoted a 2009 US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks.
Extensive international partnerships
The former Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces received his training at the Royal Military Academy in England’s Sandhurst, boasting of a spending personality that found acquaintance with allied militaries.
Under the guidance of Sheikh Mohamed, the UAE has expanded its diplomatic and defence ties with the US over time. Reportedly, the UAE President extended full support to Washington in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida in the US. Sheikh Mohamed has continuously piloted the UAE leadership to engage in friendly and warm ties with world governments including China and Russia.
Stance against pan-Arab Islamist groups
The AP report further opined how Sheikh Mohamed led necessary efforts to crackdown on the members of Islah, a Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamist group operating in the Emirates.
Understanding the challenge posed by the Muslim Brotherhood in the region, the UAE leader has maintained that the Islamist group is one of the gravest threats to stability in the Middle East. Supported by the robust ties with Washington, the UAE strongman continues to exert maximum pressure on neighbouring countries to counter the anti-Islam actions of the Muslim Brotherhood with the aim of strengthening peace and stability in the region.
In his recent autobiography, former US President Barack Obama has described Sheikh Mohammed as “young, sophisticated … and perhaps the savviest leader in the Gulf.”
MbZ also played an instrumental role in the military ousting of Egypt’s elected Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Mursi in 2013.
“He’s also a symbol in this young country that is home to Dubai, where his silhouette in aviator glasses remains a popular car window sticker,” the AP report added.