World leaders congratulate new UAE President Sheikh Mohamed

Leaders from the region and around the world congratulated Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on his election as President of the UAE on Saturday. The UAE Federal Supreme Council unanimously elected Sheikh Mohamed to succeed the President, Sheikh Khalifa , who died on Friday at the age of 73. US President Joe Biden congratulated his "long-time friend" Sheikh Mohamed on his election and said his administration was "determined to honour the memory of the late President" by continuing to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. "The UAE is an essential partner of the United States. Sheikh Mohamed, whom I met with several times as Vice President when he was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has long been at the forefront of building this partnership," said Mr Biden in a statement issued by the White House. "I look forward to working with Sheikh Mohamed to build from this extraordinary foundation to further strengthen the bonds between our countries and peoples." Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, both consoled and congratulated the UAE's new president. In a post published on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts, Dr. Al-Tayyeb said: "While sympathising with my dear brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, over losing his brother, the late Sheikh Khalifa, I would like to congratulate him, and pray to Allah Almighty to grant him the strength to succeed as the UAE's president and leader, and pick up the torch from his wise brother in serving his country and nation and spreading justice and good." Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi congratulated Sheikh Mohamed on securing the trust of the people of the Emirates to become President and wished him well in continuing the march of progress and prosperity in the Emirates. Iraq's President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi congratulated Sheikh Mohamed in separate messages. Iraq is keen to “develop the brotherly relations between our countries and peoples and boost them for more co-operation in all fields,” Mr Salih said. Mr Al Kadhimi hoped that the co-operation between Iraq and the UAE would “boost the security and stability of the region and the prosperity of its people”. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas , offered his congratulations to Sheikh Mohamed and the UAE in a message carried by Palestine's Wafa news agency. "We are pleased to extend to your highness and the brotherly Emirati people, our warmest congratulations, in the name of the state and people of Palestine and on my own behalf, on your election as President of the United Arab Emirates, and we ask God Almighty to guide you in leading your country and people towards achieving what you aspire to from goals and aspirations," Mr Abbas said. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was confident that Sheikh Mohamed's "dynamic and visionary leadership" would deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries, in a message on Twitter offering his best wishes to the new President. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer described the UAE as a key strategic partner in his message of congratulations to Sheikh Mohamed. Mr Nehammer said he looked forward to “our continued close co-operation as strong partners to promote security, stability and prosperity”. Nicos Anastasiades, the President of Cyprus, offered his warmest congratulations and said he was looking forward to taking his country's partnership with the UAE "to new heights". He spoke of "projecting our shared strategic interests to the benefit of regional stability and prosperity". The President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, offered congratulations on behalf of his people and said he looked forward to "strengthening the already close ties between our two countries".

World leaders congratulate new UAE President Sheikh Mohamed

US President Biden, India's Modi and Iraq's President Salih and Prime Minister Al Kadhimi are among those who have sent messages