Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, has named his eldest son crown prince of Abu Dhabi as part of a series of changes to the oil-rich Gulf state’s top leadership.
The appointment of Sheikh Khaled as heir apparent was widely expected as he has taken on more prominent roles in recent years and it will end speculation about the succession, particularly the potential for a power struggle.
Sheikh Mohammed also promoted three of his full brothers, naming Sheikh Tahnoon, who is the UAE’s national security adviser and also oversees a sprawling business empire, and Sheikh Hazza, who is deputy chair of Abu Dhabi’s powerful executive council, as deputy rulers of the emirate.