Biden Congratulates New UAE President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

By Michael V. Bolgent

Administrator

Posted: May 14, 2022 at 8:05 PM, Updated: May 14, 2022 at 8:07 PM

Biden Congratulates New UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed e1652558446249

On Saturday, United States President Joe Biden congratulated UAE’s de facto ruler Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and pledged to deepen ties between the two countries.

In a White House statement, Biden stated,

“I congratulate my long-time friend Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as President of the United Arab Emirates.”

“As I told Sheikh Mohammed yesterday during our phone call, the United States is determined to honour the memory of the late president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan by continuing to strengthen the strategic partnership between our countries over the coming months and years,” the statement continued.

Biden stated that the UAE is an important ally for the US. Sheikh Mohammed, according to the President, was at the “forefront” of the US-UAE cooperation.

According to her office, US Vice President Kamala Harris will go to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to head a presidential delegation and express condolences on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration and the American people on the death of the former president, Sheikh Khalifa.

Harris will meet with Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi and underscore the strength of our countries’ alliance and our determination to strengthen our connections in the next months and years, according to the release.

The new UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed, a 61-year-old professional soldier, has long been a quiet power behind Abu Dhabi’s monarchy, according to observers.

He rose to prominence after his half-brother, Sheikh Khalifa, withdrew from public view in 2014 due to surgery following a stroke.

Sheikh Mohamed was overwhelmingly elected by the Federal Supreme Council, which includes the rulers of the UAE’s seven emirates, following Sheikh Khalifa’s death on Friday. He’s also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, which controls the vast majority of the country’s oil revenue.