United Arab Emirates: The Question of Succession

A number of sources have told STRATFOR that Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the ailing ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is close to death or has died. Like similar arrangements in many other monarchies on the Arabian Peninsula, the ruler's eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, will succeed his father on the throne in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. However, because power is distributed among the president's various sons, a fight for the UAE presidency could break out within the royal family — or beyond.