Supreme Council hails new leader
Rulers of the Emirates unanimously elect Mohammad Bin Zayed as President
The Federal Supreme Council yesterday unanimously elected His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as President of the UAE during a meeting at Al Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the meeting. A statement issued by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said that according to Article 51 of the Constitution, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed was unanimously elected as President of the UAE to succeed the late Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The meeting was attended His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah; His Highness Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman; His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah; His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain; and His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
New President expresses gratitude for Rulers’ trust
For his part, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed expressed his appreciation for the great trust the Supreme Council Members placed in him, praying to Allah Almighty to guide and help him assume this great responsibility.
In a statement following the election, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid affirmed that the election of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed as UAE’s President represents a new historic era of accelerating development aimed at consolidating the global sovereignty and pioneering of the Emirates.
‘Remarkable day in the history of our country’
“On this remarkable day in the history of our country, and after the UAE bid farewell to the father and second leader, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Federal Supreme Council in Abu Dhabi has elected His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as President of the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
“The UAE begins a new stage in its history today with this leader whom his people have known for many years and recognised him as a global leader who established firm strategic relations for his country with the whole world.”
He added: “Today, the people pledge allegiance to him and follow his guidance to lead them into a new historical path in the UAE, in which future generations will rejoice their third president, and the world will also jubilate in a country that represents a future global model that carries kindness and brotherhood for all humanity.”
Congratulatory messages
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed later received Arab leaders, ministers, shaikhs and officials who congratulated him on his election as President. He also received congratulatory messages from world leaders, officials and dignitaries.
As the UAE continues to mourn a greatly loved leader, the nation is assured that its glorious march will continue as strong as ever with the election of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, as president by the Union’s Supreme Council.
The smooth transition, as per Article 51 of the Constitution, attests to the unique order in this nation, which has always been a symbol of stability in a turbulent world.
It is also an embodiment of the unity of the leadership and the people, a key characteristic of the UAE since its inception in 1971. This nation was founded 51 years ago on mutual love, respect and solidarity between its leaders and the people.
The UAE today opens a new page with the presidency of Shaikh Mohammad, the country’s third president, and one of the world’s most influential leaders. He is a leader with more than three decades of public service, and an architect of the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s modern transformation — politically, militarily, economically and socially.
Born in 1961, Shaikh Mohammad has a strong military background, graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom in 1979. His training and dedication led him to take up important positions in the armed forces, until he became its Deputy Supreme Commander in 2004.
Strong leadership qualities
Growing up under the watchful eyes UAE’s Founding Father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Shaikh Mohammad ably absorbed the leadership traits from his great father. The people of the UAE today see Zayed in Mohammad — the love and care for the people, the modesty, the political wisdom and taking the right decision at the right moment.
His unique style of leadership and management is clearly shown in the way the UAE military progressed in the past few decades to become one of the most advanced and potent forces in the region, supported by a decisive leader and an effective foreign policy.
Under the leadership of Shaikh Mohammad, the UAE has been playing a leading role in regional affairs, especially during the challenging years of the so-called Arab Spring. The UAE has led Arab efforts to restore stability and end the conflicts in a number of Arab countries.
Shaikh Mohammad has played an active role to end conflicts, including the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 2020, the UAE was one of several Arab countries that signed the Abrahamic Accords with Israel to revive the peace process and help bring about a just and lasting peace to the Middle East.
Human development has been his top priority since taking up his first public service position in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. He firmly believes that citizens are the real wealth of this country.
Showing unwavering commitment to enhance educational standards in the emirate, he has helped forge partnerships with prestigious world-class educational institutions and thinktanks.
Many of them, such as the Sorbonne and New York University, set up campuses in Abu Dhabi.
Shaikh Mohammad holds a similarly strong commitment to raise the bar in the health services.
Today, the UAE and Abu Dhabi have some of the best institutions in the world. The UAE tops the world’s ranking in the efficiency of managing the Covid-19 pandemic. That is a testament of the quality of the UAE’s health sector.
Despite the role oil played in the building and continued rise of this nation, Shaikh Mohammad has worked tirelessly to reduce this dependency and oversaw leading initiatives to diversify the economy.
He famously shared this belief a few years ago with the world when he announced: “In 50 years, when we might have the last barrel of oil, the question is: when it is shipped abroad, will we be sad? If we are investing today in the right sectors, I can tell you we will celebrate at that moment.”
The UAE has become a global symbol of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, thanks to his efforts and the efforts of UAE leaders. Nearly 200 nationalities live and work in the country today. These efforts were boosted when in February 2019, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Ahmad Al Tayyeb made a historic visit to the UAE upon the personal invitation of Shaikh Mohammad. In Abu Dhabi, they signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in February that year.
With the election of Shaikh Mohammad, the loyal bearer of Zayed’s legacy, the nation’s future is assured.
He is a leader who has a staunch belief in the UAE union, unwavering commitment to the development of the nation and its people, the shared destiny of the Arab nation and the political will and wisdom to continue leading the country’s march towards a more multilateral, peaceful world.
Growing up under the watchful eyes UAE’s Founding Father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Shaikh Mohammad ably absorbed the leadership traits from his great father.