UAE President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Wednesday named his eldest son Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammad bin Zayed crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the federation's seven emirates, media reported on Wednesday..

The ruler of Abu Dhabi has traditionally been the president of the federation since it was founded in 1971. As a result, the new crown prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed is expected to become the next ruler of the Emirates in the future.

Current leader Mohammed bin Zayed, often known as " MBZ ", was named crown prince when his father died in November 2004, when his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa became president of the Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. Diminished by a stroke in 2014, Sheikh Khalifa retained his official titles, but MBZ then de facto ruled both the emirate and the federation for years.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had finally officially become president of the Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi when Sheikh Khalifa died in May 2022. His appointment as head of state had sparked speculation about his succession as crown prince of Abu Dhabi.. 

MBZ has also appointed several of his brothers to key positions. One of them, Manchester City football club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, 52, has been named vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. He exercises this function jointly with the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the federation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

Tahnoun bin Zayed, national security adviser and chairman of the sovereign wealth fund ADQ, was named deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, along with Hazza bin Zayed, another brother of the president.

A rich oil country with some 10 million inhabitants, the United Arab Emirates have experienced a diplomatic and military rise in recent years that have placed it at the heart of the geopolitics of the Middle East. Allied country of Saudi Arabia and the United States, the Emirates of "MBZ" were thus the first Gulf country to normalize relations with Israel in 2020. "MBZ" is also widely believed to be the one who sent Emirati troops to Yemen in 2015, as part of a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels.