Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is congratulated by world leaders on his election as president

Messages of congratulations flooded in from all across the Middle East and the world after Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was elected president of the United Arab Emirates, a day after former leader Sheikh Khalifa died. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was elected President, and Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated him. Sheikh Mohammed was also congratulated on his appointment by US President Barack Obama. “The smooth transition of power confirms the entrenchment of institutional values in the UAE,” said Anwar Gargash, UAE diplomatic adviser. The rulers of the country’s seven sheikhdoms made the decision unanimously at a meeting held at Al-Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, according to state news agency WAM.

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI all offered greetings to the new president. Other leaders who congratulated Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed include Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, Barham Salih of Iraq, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, and Vladimir Putin of Russia. “We aim to maintain our cooperation with the UAE,” Putin stated. Messages of congratulations were also conveyed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.