The new President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday as world leaders flock to Abu Dhabi to pay tribute to his predecessor, Sheikh Khalifa.
During his first foreign visit a week after being re-elected, Macron expressed his condolences to Sheikh Mohammed on the death of his brother Sheikh Khalifa, who died on Friday after a long illness.
Macron was the first foreign leader to offer his personal condolences to Sheikh Mohammed and will be followed on Sunday and Monday by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, among the world’s most prominent the leaders head to the capital of the oil-rich Gulf state to pay their respects to the country’s president. The UAE has begun to gain more and more influence in the Middle East due to its wealth, oil resources and strategic position, while the traditional regional powers have weakened.
The Elysee Palace said in a statement that Macron, during a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed, expressed “sincere condolences to his family and people” in connection with the death of Sheikh Khalifa. “The UAE is a strategic partner for France, as evidenced by the extent of our cooperation in areas as diverse as defence, culture and education,” the statement said.
The presidents and kings of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Tunisia offered their condolences on Saturday, among a large number of other world leaders.
The Emir of Qatar, the King of Bahrain, the presidents of Germany and Indonesia, and more than 20 other officials are due to arrive in Abu Dhabi.
