UAE president appoints eldest son as crown prince

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed has appointed his eldest son, Khaled, as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the country's capital.

The moves places Khaled next in line to the presidency of the Gulf state.

It also shifts the succession line to the younger generation, as power previously transitioned through brothers.

Mohammed, 62, became president in May, following the death of his older brother Khalifa. Both are sons of UAE founder, Zayed Al Nahyan.

As a crown prince, Mohammed acted as the country's de-facto ruler of the Gulf state after Khalifa suffered a stroke in 2014.

In a series of decisions, Mohammed also appointed three of his brothers to top roles, consolidating their power within Abu Dhabi.

Hazza bin Zayed and Tahnoun bin Zayed have been appointed as deputy rulers of Abu Dhabi.

Mansour bin Zayed was also appointed as Vice President, alongside Prime Minister and Dubai's ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates including the business and travel hub of Dubai. The country has the world's sixth largest oil reserves and seventh largest natural gas reserves.

In recent years, the UAE emerged as regional powerhouse, maintaining links with many countries, such as Iran and Turkey, while being a key player against them in proxy wars in the region. It also became the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain.