World leaders visit UAE to honor the late president

The UAE’s new President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, met his French and British counterparts on Sunday as world leaders offered congratulations and paid tribute to his late predecessor.

French President Emmanuel Macron, on the maiden foreign trip of his second term, was the first of a number of Western leaders to meet “MBZ,” who was appointed on Saturday, a day after the death of Sheikh Khalifa.

He was followed later by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who offered his commiserations on Sheikh Khalifa’s death and his congratulations on the presidency, an official said. Queen Elizabeth II also sent her congratulations.

Israel’s president and the king of Spain were also scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday, with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken due on Monday.

The high-level visits reflect the increased influence wielded by the UAE in the Middle East and further afield due to its wealth, oil resources and strategic location.

Sunday’s guest list also included Qatar’s emir, Bahrain’s king and the Palestinian, German and Indonesian presidents, among more than 20 senior figures.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called to congratulate the president and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to commend his “dynamic and visionary leadership.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent his congratulations, promising to work to “deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries.

Sheikh Mohamed was chosen to head the government of the state in a unanimous vote on Saturday by leaders of the country’s seven emirates.